Thiruvananthapuram is in a transition phase, believes Ajay Padmanabhan. It is the reason why he decided that being the chief executive officer of a non-profit, government-backed organisation like the Trivandrum City Connect Foundation (TCCF) would be a more fulfilling job than the globe-trotting head of communication strategies at Suzlon India.
The TCCF, Mr. Padmanabhan says, is a collaborative platform set up with the aim of making Thiruvananthapuram city better through planned and coordinated implementation of development initiatives.
For the city, by the cityFor the city, by the city, one could say, since the foundation focuses on people’s power to achieve its aims, involving city-based industries, community service groups and NGOs, schools, colleges and other educational institutions, and in short, everyone who loves Thiruvananthapuram.
The TCCF, part of the India@75 Mission 2022 initiative under the aegis of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and which has siblings in Bangalore, Chennai, Panjim and Pune, is already on the job, going about it steadily, but silently.
For the record, the priority projects of the TCCF include a ‘Dengue Fever Eradication Initiative’, for which a ‘Dengue-free Thiruvananthapuram’ programme is being worked out along with health experts, the Health Department and the Community Medicine wing of the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College; a decentralised waste processing and management programme that is less dependent on the government and uses innovative technologies, for which a pilot model programme will soon be launched in four Corporation wards; expansion of the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, related efforts of which have already seen announcements of more flights from the city; promotion of Thiruvananthapuram as a brand, showcasing the city as the best destination for the knowledge industry and research and development sector apart from branding it as a “great place to live and work”, according to Mr. Padmanabhan.
Master plan for the cityThe TCCF, which is also associated with the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation to develop a better master plan, has also conveyed its interest to partner the Corporation in preparing effective strategies to tackle the stray dog menace and other issues that remain a blot on the city’s image.
Plans are also afoot to work with the Corporation to address the issue of visual pollution in the city, caused by the haphazard billboard and flex installations across the cityscape, says Mr. Padmanabhan.
When this city has youngsters willing to set up shop and build their future here, and organisations like the TCCF to join hands with for improving the quality of life here, can the synonym of ‘The Happening City’ for Thiruvananthapuram be far behind?
