The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : PRIDE to draw up action plan

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Friday, Mar 09, 2007
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Kerala

Kerala - Kochi

PRIDE to draw up action plan

Anand Haridas

KOCHI: The Police Residents Associations Initiative in District Ernakulam (PRIDE) is poised to take a new turn as it welcomes the new City Police Commissioner Manoj Abraham at the next meeting scheduled for Saturday.

Mr. Abraham has successfully implemented Maitri, a community policing initiative, with active participation of residents associations, during his tenure as the City Police Commissioner of Thiruvananthapuram.

"Specific schemes will be drawn out for the city after identifying problem areas. PRIDE has already established a platform for easy communication. Now steps should be taken for crime prevention," said Mr. Abraham.

Maitri was a multifarious programme that included initiatives like schemes for night watch along residential areas, coordination between police and security agencies, traffic monitoring and drive against drugs. It also had special schemes for the welfare of Maldivians, a sizable floating population in Thiruvananthapuram.

"It has been decided after initial discussions with Mr. Abraham that PRIDE will continue to focus on law and order. To improve the system, we have decided to incorporate the Road Transport Office to the forum," said P. Rangadasa Prabhu, president of the Ernakulam District Residents Association Apex Council (EDRAAC).

It was also decided to include representatives of the Kerala Police Officers' Association and the Kerala Police Association at the monthly meetings of PRIDE. The apex council had identified action against sale and use of drugs and harassment of women as the key areas for the year.

The EDRAAC also formed interfaces with other agencies like the Kochi Corporation and the Kerala State Electricity Board. An ad hoc committee had been formed for People Electricity Association for Coordinated Efforts (PEACE).

"We had discussions with Minister for Water Resources N.K. Premachandran on forming a similar forum with the Kerala Water Authority. More discussions will be held soon in Thiruvananthapuram," said Mr. Prabhu.

Protest against flats

Members of the Masjid Road Residents' Welfare Association, Kaloor, are protesting a move to construct apartments at a plot having teak trees.

The area is home to many rare species of birds and it will be lost if the apartment comes up, said V. Subramanyam, president of the association.

The association filed petitions with the Corporation and the Chief Minister to stop the construction.

A meeting of the association recently observed that the Corporation had restricted movement of heavy vehicles along the road because of its narrowness. In that situation, construction of the apartment complex could not be allowed, it said.

Association inaugurated

Thiruvankulam panchayat president E.V. Thankappan inaugurated Poonthanam Residents Association (PRA), Thiruvankulam, last week. M.M. Mohanan, PRA president, presided. C.T. Babu, PRA secretary; panchayat members K.R. Sukumaran and M.B. Kalesan; M.T. Varghese, secretary, Thiruvankulam Panchayat Residents Association Coordination Council; and P. Vinod, PRA joint secretary, spoke. The association is concentrating on establishing cooperation between families and is planning to organise free medical camps for members, said Mr. Babu.

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