The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : Delay in development projects will cost dear, says Chandy

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Dec 30, 2007
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Kerala - Kochi

Delay in development projects will cost dear, says Chandy

Staff Reporter

Metro Rail did not get enough support from government

Hails government move to take up the project
Transport, drinking water, garbage key areas of Kochi

KOCHI: If Kochi fails to develop basic infrastructure, it will boomerang on the growth of the city, said Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy.

He was inaugurating a seminar on Kochi’s development organised by Kochin Patrika, a Malayalam fortnightly newspaper, on its 10th anniversary.

Transport, drinking water and waste disposal were the major problems being faced by Kochi. Mr. Chandy said the Metro Rail project, initiated by the UDF government, did not get the required support from the succeeding government.

The delay had been costly and the entire process would have to be repeated now. This apart, the project needed to get the nod from the Union Ministry of Urban Development now. Nevertheless, the move of the present government to take up the project was welcome.

Mr. Chandy recalled that the former UDF government under the leadership of A.K. Antony had initiated steps for getting ADB loan for drinking water project as the Kochi Corporation was lacking in adequate funds to execute it.

The proposal was then opposed on political grounds, but now efforts were on to get external aid. The delay could have been avoided, he said.

The former GCDA Chairman Antony Isaac said Kochi should have a wider geographical area for taking up development projects. Extending the limits of Kochi would serve as a means to arrest the steep rise in land prices.

In the absence of development in different sectors, keeping pace with the Smart City project, the dream that Kochi would scale new heights would be unfounded. Lack of institutions of excellence in education would be a setback, he observed.

Thousands of acres of arable land were trapped in a static economy because of the failure to take up farming operations there. There was scarcity of farm labour, he pointed out.

Mr. Isaac said a ‘water mafia’ was prevalent in the city. The quality of water being served by tankers was not being monitored and vested interests were involved, he said.

Double decked road traffic would be required to solve the traffic congestion presently being faced by the city. Flyovers at a few locations would not serve the purpose, he said.

Development of the city should not be considered as the sole responsibility of the Corporation or the government. Observing that people’s representatives were getting elected with even 30 per cent of votes, he said there was a need for making fundamental changes in the rules pertaining to the local body elections.

K.V. Thomas, MLA, K.P. Haridas, advocate, Simon Edapally, journalist, Rangadasa Prabhu, P.S. Stephen, and others spoke.

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