The renovated S.M. Street in the city will have a grand opening on Saturday—just in time for the Christmas-New Year celebration. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will formally open the street at 7 p.m. in the presence of Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran and Excise Minister T.P. Ramakrishnan. Writers M.T. Vasudevan Nair, U.A. Khader and historian M.G.S. Narayanan will be honoured on the occasion.
District Collector U.V. Jose told reporters here on Wednesday that the Chief Minister would bisit the street before proceeding to the inauguration venue at Mananchira square. He would first take a look at the relief murals based on S.K. Pottekkat’s ‘Oru Theruvinte Katha’ that is under construction on the wall near S.K. Square (Kidson Corner). He would then travel from one end of the street to the other and back in a buggy set up by the Kudumbasree.
Human wall
“Every corner of the street will have one or the other cultural activity going on. Kudumbasree members will build a human wall on both sides of the street,” the Collector said.
Opening ceremony
The opening ceremony will begin with a three-minute video on the history of S.M. Street, followed by a 15-minute visual presentation by veteran theatre personalities of Kozhikode.
The Mananchira-S.M. Street area will be illuminated for the ceremony. A Santa Claus competition has been planned, the registration for which will be held from 4 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. on Saturday at the Sports Council office at Mananchira.
Merchants’ gesture
Meanwhile, the merchant bodies have not yet come to terms with the proposed traffic ban in the street. The Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Samiti has offered full cooperation in making the inauguration a grand event. The Samiti will offer sweets to all visitors.
Traffic on the street will be banned until January 2 in view of the huge rush for Christmas and New Year. The Corporation council will hold a special meeting on December 28 to discuss whether a total traffic ban should be imposed.
Health Standing Committee chairman of the Corporation K.V. Baburaj said that the proposed parking plaza near S.K. Square would be constructed soon. Until then, the district administration has made arrangements for parking in empty plots around the street.
