Cutting away from the routine, Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson will hold a meeting of senior Revenue staff including District Collectors, Additional District Magistrates, Revenue Divisional Officers, and Deputy Collectors of Kozhikode and Wayanad districts at the Collectorate here on Friday.
Normally, the Chief Secretary conducts a monthly or bi-monthly video conference with State government heads from Thiruvananthapuram.
But this unusual step is being scheduled to get a first-hand knowledge of issues in the north Kerala districts.
The Chief Secretary will also focus on disaster management and strive to remove the encroachments in the city in a manner similar to the drive undertaken in Thiruvananthapuram.
A demolition drive similar to the one in the Thampanoor area of the capital city could be emulated in Kozhikode city also where many arterial roads including Mavoor Road get flooded during rainy season, a government official said.
Encroachments
Rampant encroachments have been identified on the 11.4-km stretch of the Canoly canal from Elathur to Kallayi in the city.
These have caused major hindrance to the smooth flow of water.
The drive against encroachments could also help in the reclamation of drains on many roads.
The District Collector, as ex-offico chairman of the District Disaster Management Authority, could ensure that the areas in the district, vulnerable to disasters, are identified and measures for the prevention of disasters taken.
He will also lay down guidelines for the prevention of disaster management plans by government departments and local bodies in the district.
Collectors of both the districts are likely to take up the topic of four-lane connectivity to the upcoming Kannur airport. Vexing issues will also be taken up during the meeting.
If the problem of land acquisition for widening of NH 17 persists, then a new alignment will be worked out. Another issue is of laying the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) pipeline for LPG transmission in the district.
