A special committee to oversee the implementation of major projects in the city will be constituted, Mayor Tony Chammany has said.
The Mayor announced the decision while concluding the budget discussion at the corporation council meeting on Thursday. Later, the council passed the annual budget.
Besides the Mayor, the committee will have chairpersons and members of standing committees, officials and four members nominated by the leader of the Opposition in the council. The committee will focus on the implementation of projects such as Pachalam rail overbridge, Thammanam-Pullepady road project, widening of Sahodaran Ayyappan Road and Goshree-Mamangalam road project. The local body would do a follow-up of the projects based on the panel’s suggestions, Mr. Chammany said.
He said the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation’s re-laying of city roads need not be considered a largesse by the agency as the works were implemented based on the civic body’s suggestions. The agency repaired other city roads after the council demanded that the roads be repaired before pulling down the North overbridge, he said.
According to Mr. Chammany, some of the city roads were re-laid at higher standards using funds released by the State government. It should be the development of the city and not the source of funds that one should be concerned about, he said. The council will have a decisive say in projects implemented in the city. While implementing the solid waste treatment plant project at Brahmapuram, the State government would take into consideration the views of the local body, he said.
The Muvattupuzha drinking water project will be commissioned in March. The project will bring enough drinking water to the central city and west Kochi areas. For the share auto system suggested in the budget to become a reality, laws governing their operations need to be introduced by the State government. The non-motorised transport system, another budget proposal, too required government approval, the Mayor said.
