Implementation of projects based on people’s demand in the capital is a sign that participatory democracy is functioning effectively at the local body-level, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said. He was inaugurating the newly constructed multilevel car parking lot on the city Corporation premises through video conferencing here on Monday. He also launched work on another parking lot at Palayam and an Integrated Command Control Centre on the Corporation premises.
“One of the major issues in the capital is the lack of enough space for parking. The public has been facing a lot of difficulties due to this. The Corporation should be lauded for taking a step to address this. It shows that the local body is intervening in issues based on the demands of the local people. To make the functioning of local bodies truly participatory, projects should implemented in consultation with the public,” said Mr. Vijayan.
102 cars at a time
Across seven floors, the multilevel parking lot in the Corporation can accommodate 102 cars at a time. It will be opened to the public once the parking fee rates are fixed and passed in the council. Executed under the Central government’s Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme, the parking lot was completed at ₹5.64 crore. Out of this, 50% of the cost was borne by the city Corporation, 30% by the Central government and 20% by the State government.
The proposed parking lot at Palayam is coming up on land owned by the Thiruvananthapuram Development Authority (TRIDA), at a cost of ₹32.99 crore under the Corporation’s Smart City project. The project is being executed by a Pune-based company, with an expected completion period of 15 months.
New entry
Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran inaugurated the new entry to the city Corporation, constructed for ease of entry for the public to the multilevel parking lot on the premises.
The Integrated Command Control Centre, work on which was launched on Monday, is meant to provide the Corporation with real-time data from the ground on everything from street lights to water supply and traffic situation.