The construction of the memorial for poet G. Sankara Kurup will be completed by the end of the year, civic administrators have said.
The structural work for the project will begin shortly, as piling is almost over. Besides, funds of the Kochi Corporation and those from the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) are being used for the project. The civic body has earmarked ₹3 crore for the project in its annual budget.
Going by the present pace of work, the project will be up for inauguration by the end of the year, said Mayor M. Anilkumar.
The initial work will be completed using ₹50 lakh from corporation funds. Another ₹1 crore will be allotted from AMRUT, he informed.
The civic body will have to raise another ₹1.20 crore for completing furnishing, landscaping, and electrical work. Funds will be raised from available sources to complete the project, which is long overdue, the Mayor said. The proposal for a befitting memorial for the poet had been in discussion for over two decades. The present council has made significant progress with regard to the project, Mr. Anilkumar said.
Of the 10 piles from which the structure will be built, seven have been completed, said P.R. Renish, chairman of the development standing committee of the corporation.
The project has been designed taking into account the cultural and geographical features of Kochi, the Mayor said.
According to the project proposal, an eco-friendly memorial will come up at the 25-cent holding near Mangalavanam. An open stage, art gallery, and a sound museum where the poems of the writer could be listened to will be part of the memorial. Green space will be one of the highlights of the project.
A proposal for setting up the Justice Krishna Iyer Square, a memorial for jurist V.R. Krishna Iyer, will come up before the corporation council shortly. A proposal by renowned unban designer K.T. Raveendran has been accepted. A detailed project report based on the design provided by Mr. Raveendran will be prepared, according to the civic authorities.
