The former councillors of the city Corporation have a vision for Kozhikode, that of a clean and traffic congestion-free city. At the inaugural of the Kozhikode Corporation Ex-Councillors’ Forum here on Friday, they presented a memorandum to Mayor A.K. Premajam outlining their ideas for the development of the city. The Mayor welcomed their suggestions as the Corporation is considering a fresh master plan for the development of the city to suit its present circumstances.
Ms. Premajam inaugurated the forum as well as a seminar on ‘City Development and Master Plan’. She said that the ward councillors, who were well-versed with the needs of their wards, would have a say in the developmental activities of each ward. They could also decide into which zone their wards should be classified.
Wetland protectionThe Mayor stressed the need for protecting wetlands in the city which were rich in biodiversity. She came out against the ‘haphazard’ construction activities going on in the city and blamed the large-scale builders for flouting the building rules. She said that the Corporation needed a strong master plan to regulate construction activities and to protect the wetlands.
Regional Town Planner K.V. Abdul Malik said that lack of proper leadership was a major hindrance to the development of the city and urged for effective leadership at the ward level. Explaining the proposed master plan, he said that what was needed was rediscovering the Connolly Canal that was once a water way and exploring its tourism potential. Also, the Valiyangadi need not be restored to its old glory, but should be developed based on the kind of business there. It was not possible to restore the old glory of Kallai as timber was not felled in Nilambur any more, but the place could be made a hub of the timber import business from Malaysia. The master plan should contain provisions to encourage new-age business like information technology and footwear industry. The open spaces should be well utilised, he said.
President of the Forum E.V. Usman Koya and general secretary P. Mammad Koya were present.
