Lorry owners get more time to shift stand

The Kozhikode Corporation has given a week’s time to lorry owners to relocate their offices and shift the lorry stand on South Beach to the new parking area at Puthiyangadi. The directive follows a public outcry in the wake of increasing road accidents and drug abuse in South Beach area.

The corporation council in its meeting on Thursday decided to offer more time to lorry owners, overruling its earlier decision to complete the relocation by May 1. Indian Union Muslim League councillor Srikala brought the issue before the council while councillor C. Abdurahman supported her pointing out that delay in shifting the lorry stand might result in a public outrage. He said that lorry staff were openly defecating on the beach despite the availability of public toilets. Around five people died in accidents on the beach road stretch from Hotel Sea Queen to Francis Road Junction in the last two years. There have also been allegations that drug peddling was flourishing in the South Beach area. JD(U) councillor Thomas Mathew demanded that the council set a cut-off date for the shift.

Pre-monsoon cleaning

The council has entrusted the task of undertaking pre-monsoon cleaning on the Engineering wing, unlike the previous years when the task was undertaken by the Health wing. CPI(M) councillor K.T. Sushaj demanded more funds at ward level for pre-monsoon cleaning.

Congress councillor P.M. Niyas accused the Corporation Town Planning wing of inaction over the incidents of caving in of land, resulting in the death of two guest labourers. “Despite the Corporation’s stop memo, building works were still in progress at least at seven sites. They dig around 60 feet below the ground level without taking adequate precautions,” he alleged. The Town Planning Wing clarified that safety of building sites were the responsibility of the supervisor in charge and that the corporation had sought action against the supervisors in the two mentioned cases. The Town Planning wing had inspected 30 building sites following the two incidents.

The Corporation also decided to approach the Cyber Cell over the issue of messages circulating in social media that SSLC and Plus Two winners would get scholarships from local bodies. CPI(M) councillor K.K. Rafeeque pointed out that councillors were being approached by the public based on the fake messages.

The council also witnessed some tense moments when P.M. Niyas alleged that the councillors had not been informed of Kudumbasree’s activities.