: The Kattappana grama panchayat, which is set to become a municipality on November 1, will be the second one from Idukki district to get the status after Thodupuzha.
It is one of the more important commercial centre in the high ranges and was on a fast track in terms of development and infrastructure building. Kattappana became a grama panchayat in 1962 and the first panchayat council under the presidentship of V.T. Sebastian was formed in 1964.
However, it was the development of the Kottayam-Kattappana road and the Puliyanmala- Thodupuzha State highway that turned the town into a commercial centre. It was the agriculture sector that played a pivotal role in economically uplifting the town. P.V. Biju, secretary of the grama panchayat told The Hindu on Wednesday that with it becoming a municipality, there will be 34 wards from the present 22 wards. Since there are no changes in the physical boundary, the delimitation process has been completed. He said that the blueprint of it will be submitted to the Delimitation Commission and the District Collector so as to complete the formalities by July 31.
