Goshree islanders have expressed concern over development works in the islands surrounding Kochi being held up with the general council of Goshree Islands Development Authority (GIDA), mandated to take up infrastructure and other development works in the area, not meeting for over two years now.
The last general council was held in January 2016 when the then Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, was its chairman. Since then there have been no meetings and there have been neither reviews of the ongoing works or decisions on new projects to be taken up, said chairman of the Goshree Action Council Majnu Komath.
The Goshree Islands Development Authority was initially set up in May 1994 to build the Goshree bridges linking the islands of Mulavukadu, Vallarpadam and Vypeen with the Ernakulam mainland. Its mandate was expanded to include the overall development of the cluster of islands near the city that include eight panchayats and a portion of the Kochi Corporation. GIDA areas now include Thannonnithuruthu, Elamkunnappuzha, Edavanakkadu, Njarakkal, Nayarambalam, Kuzhuppilly, Pallippuram, Kadamakkudy and Mulavukadu.
Water supply schemes
Mr. Komath particularly pointed out the example of several major water supply augmentation programmes on the islands that had been affected. Works on the water tanks at Murikkinpaadam and Njarakkal had been held up, he said. He also said that several crucial bridge projects were also pending.
E.X. Benny, development standing committee chairman of Kadamakkudy grama panchayat, expressed hope that the upcoming GIDA general council meeting would address the issues. He said that the GIDA general council had been recently reconstituted and a date for the meeting would be fixed according to the convenience of the Chief Minister, who is the chairman of the council. One of the crucial projects that was pending was the Moolampilly-Chathanad Road, he said.