The hurdles hampering the progress of three major projects under the Thiruvananthapuram city Corporation's Smart City project became the focus of discussion in a review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday.
According to Corporation sources, one of the major issues is the redevelopment of Rajaji Nagar that mandate shifting the residents to temporary rehabilitation centres.
"The construction can commence only after these 169 families are shifted. We have two options, either to move them to temporary rehabilitation centres or provide them the rent for the period of construction. However, many are reluctant to shift. The Mayor, the District Collector and the Smart City CEO have been given the responsibility of sorting out the issues," said the source.
Master plan
A master plan has been prepared for the redevelopment work at Rajaji Nagar, spread across an area of 12.6 acres. In the first phase, construction work will be carried out in 2.81 acres of land, accommodating 248 dwelling units in eight blocks. Livelihood centres, community hall and green open spaces for recreation are also part of the project. The estimated cost for the first phase is ₹61.42 crore.
The second project that came up for discussion was Smart Roads, which has been plagued by lack of coordination between the various departments. The Local Self Government Department officials have been given the responsibility of coordinating between the departments, especially the shifting of utility cables to underground ducts.
The Corporation has also been in two minds regarding the construction of the Integrated Command and Control Centre, for which, as per the proposed plan, the Friends Janasevana Kendram at the main office in Palayam will have to be demolished. The meeting decided to go ahead with the project as per the plan.
