The town planning committee of the city Corporation has taken back control of some parks and landscaped traffic islands in the city, which were not being properly maintained by private parties contracted for the purpose.
After carrying out maintenance works, the civic body is now looking for organisations and individuals willing to take up the regular upkeep of these parks, as the Corporation does not have enough staff to be used for the same.
The big challenge for the Corporation is in finding organisations that are interested in taking up the parks and traffic islands located in the Kowdiar to East Fort route, where advertisements cannot be displayed. One of the attractions for many who bid for the annual contracts is the display of advertisements on prime land.
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“Recently, we took control of the Ayyankali park and carried out maintenance work. But if we don’t have proper upkeep regularly, it does not serve any purpose. We cannot manage all the parks and traffic island landscaping with our current staff strength. Most private parties approach us looking at the possibilities of advertisement. But, on the Kowdiar-East Fort route, they are only allowed to put up a board with the name of the institution maintaining it. Only institutions like banks approach us,” says Town Planning Standing Committee Chairman Palayam Rajan.
The State Bank of India had recently carried out maintenance work at the park inside the Poojappura junction traffic island. The Corporation had also carried out renovation work at Kowdiar park and is now looking for organisations interested in running it. Other parks for which the Corporation is looking for contractors include the park at Vettamukku, the children’s park near Cliff House, and the Mannanthala traffic island.
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The town planning standing committee has also decided to remove encroachments into roads and footpaths by shops within this month. The revenue wing will remove advertisements placed in advertisement-free zones.