The State government will extend all possible support for fulfilling the development needs of Kochi city, said K. Babu, Minister for Fisheries and Excise.
Inaugurating the renovation project of the Ravipuram crematorium here on Monday, Mr. Babu said that the State government had supported the civic body by providing Rs. 48 crore for the Atlantis Rail overbridge project.
A drinking water project for West Kochi would soon become a reality with the government offering the civic body Rs. 11 crore for completing the land acquisition. The civic body received Rs. 25 crore for completing the road connectivity from Pullepady Rail overbridge to MG Road. The Kochi metro rail project is all set to take off and the State government has supported this project too, Mr. Babu said. Many of the civic bodies in the State are facing financial crunch. The State government had allotted Rs. 1.5 crore each for the Corporations to tide over the financial crisis.
The Kochi Corporation had to raise Rs. 5 crore loan for paying salary of its staff. The financial crisis and some technical hurdles were preventing the civic bodies like Kochi from fulfilling the dreams of the city dwellers, he said.
Referring to the pathetic state of affairs at the Ravipuram crematorium, Mr. Babu said that it didn't suit a modern city like Kochi. The crematorium should be modernised and facilities provided for completing the funeral rituals. The project should also be completed on time, he suggested.
In his presidential address, Kochi Mayor Tony Chammany said that the crematorium modernisation project was envisaged in the Kochi First campaign of the civic body.
K. Lava, president of the Rotary Club of Cochin, which is supporting the civic body in the project, said that the renovated crematorium will have two-stage burning system, new 30-metre-high-chimmeny, scrubber and a generator back-up.
The landscape around the building will also be improved. The club will provide Rs. 60 lakh for the project, he said.
Those who attended the ceremony included Benny Behannan and Dominic Presentation, MLAs; N. Venugopal, chairman of the Greater Cochin Development Authority, Deputy Mayor B. Bhadra, Suja Roy, councillor of the Kochi corporation, Ajit B. Patil, secretary of the Kochi Corporation and Venugopal C. Govind and B. Jayarajan of the Rotary Club.
