The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : Civic bodies file report on comfort stations

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 29, 2005

Kerala

Kerala - Kochi

Civic bodies file report on comfort stations

Staff Reporter

Kochi Corporation seeks more time to submit statement

KOCHI: Most of the municipal corporations in the State submitted status reports on comfort stations and funds allotted for them in their respective areas to the Ombudsman for Local bodies, T.K. Chandrasekhara Das, at a sitting held here on Thursday.

This follows a suo motu case initiated by Mr. Das, on the basis of media reports on the pathetic state of comfort stations in the State.

The Ombudsman had also sought information from the 61 Municipal Corporations and five Corporations whether they had "ever evaluated through detailed study the number of comfort stations required in their respective areas."

He also sought to know whether the civic bodies had provided any comfort stations in the municipal areas, steps for managing them and whether they were charging the users. They were also asked about the budget share for 2004-05 for sanitation and healthcare, amount spent in these sectors during the current fiscal and any instances of diversion of funds. The civic bodies had been asked to file the statements answering the questions within three weeks from February 21.

When the case was considered at the camp sitting held on Thursday, representatives of 61 civic bodies filed their reply. Kochi Corporation, which did not file its reply, has sought more time for filing its report.

The Ombudsman plans to personally inspect some of the comfort stations and may depute officials to inspect the condition of some others. A decision will be taken after going through the statements filed by the civic bodies.

The case will be considered again on June 21.

In an informal discussion with the officials of the Greater Cochin Development Authority, Mr. Das directed them to re-lay the slabs on Kaloor-Kadavantra Road that had been removed for cabling work by mobile phone companies.

Relaying of slabs

Though the Authority officials stated that the re-laying of slabs would be done as a separate work along with other drains that are to be covered, Mr. Das insisted that they need not wait for other works to be completed and directed them to finish the work along the bridge immediately.

The pedestrians now use the footpath, which has been set up at one side of the bridge. The gaps along the footpath have been causing much inconvenience to the pedestrians, he pointed out.

The Ombudsman considered 37 cases at the sitting and settled 17 cases.

The next sitting will be held for three days from May 10 at the GCDA conference hall.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Kerala

News Update

Stories in this Section

GCDA may be permitted to collect road toll

Civic bodies file report on comfort stations

Poor infrastructure at nursing institute

New twist to fraud case

5 held for obstructing dumping of garbage

2 killed in accidents

CTTU to be affiliated to HMS

In Kochi Today