Promises will be fulfilled, says Mayor

Putting forth her aim as the all-round development of the capital city, Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Mayor Arya Rajendran said all the hundred councillors will work together towards this aim.

At her first formal interaction with the Press on Tuesday after taking charge as Mayor, Ms. Rajendran said: “Development certainly is her priority. The Left Democratic Front (LDF) had, in its election manifesto ahead of the local body elections, made promises in various sectors, be it related to the youth or women or regarding waste management. There was a Corporation-specific manifesto too. Based on this, we will look at what all the public wants to be implemented immediately. We will prioritise these tasks based on the feedback from each of the councillors on the ground. For this, we will all set aside politics and work together unitedly. We also have to ensure that all of that we are doing is reaching the public.”

As for the immediate priority, she said preparing the schools and colleges, which had remained closed for several months owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, to welcome the children after reopening would be one of the tasks to be taken up.

“As a student myself, cleaning up the water tanks and surroundings and ensuring a safe environment for the students would be a priority,” she said.

Waste management

Her other priorities include waste management and awareness campaigns among the public to reduce dumping of waste, steps to address joblessness among the youth, and ensuring a safe environment in the city for women at night.

Asked whether the relative inexperience would affect her, she said she did not believe herself to be inexperienced.

“I do not believe that age is a factor which decides a person’s maturity. I have gained a lot of life experience from working with Balasangham as well as the students’ movements. I have some clarity on how to handle various situations from a leadership position. Those who criticise me are those who do not know me personally. I will reply to such criticisms with my actions, rather than my words,” she said.

She said that any administration should have a judicious mix of youth and experience, as both are required in equal measure to get things done.