The Hindu 16.11.2010
Mayor vows to fight corruption
Staff Reporter
For action:Mayor Prasanna Earnest addressing a meet-the-press programme in Kollam on Monday.
KOLLAM: Mayor Prasanna Earnest has said that the prime thrust of her mayoralty will be to earn the confidence of the people of the city.
Addressing a meet-the-press programme organised by the Kollam Press Club on Monday, Ms. Earnest said everything possible to present a corruption-free administration with the cooperation of the Corporation employees would be done.
The Mayor said she and her team were open to criticism. “Only if there are criticisms can corrections be made,” she said. Fulfilling the promises made in the Left Democratic Front’s election manifesto for Kollam city would be given priority. Increasing the Corporation’s revenue was vital for meeting the requirements of welfare programmes. So, strict measures would be taken to collect all tax dues.
Development works would be carried out with the aim of making Kollam a pedestrian-friendly city. All heritage sites would be preserved. A programme to beautify the city would be undertaken. A commercial complex, a convention centre and an economic lodging facility for visitors were being planned at Andamukham.
Other development activities include a parking tower at Andamukham, foot over-bridges at the SN College and Saint Joseph’s Convent junctions and a subway at the Taluk Office junction. Tourism promotion projects pertaining to the Ashtamudi Lake and the Kollam Beach would be speeded up.
The Mayor said the first phase of the newly commissioned garbage treatment plant at Kureepuzha would start functioning in the first week of December. Initially, 15 divisions of the Corporation would be covered by the plant.
Kudumbasree volunteers would engage in house-to-house garbage collection at the rate of Rs.50 a month per house. For shops, the rate would range from Rs.100 to Rs.250 and for hotels Rs.500 a month.
Once the garbage treatment plant covered the entire city, punitive measures would be initiated against those found dumping garbage at public places. There would be special teams to check the menace. It was also decided not to accept garbage bundled in plastic kits, she said.
Biogas plants each with capacity to dispose of 500 kg of waste at a time had been sanctioned for the Eravipuram, Munaamkutty, Thevally, Kavanad and Polayathodu public markets. Two biogas plants each with capacity to treat 1,000 kg of waste had also been sanctioned for the Kollam abattoir.
