Kerala: Fringe wards face unique troubles

Thiruvananthapuram: Fringe wards may not have huge garbage pile-up issue like in the core wards of city corporation,  but have high number of beneficiaries of welfare schemes,  who believe that the wards  being added to the corporation from panchayat areas have  become a bane.

Like in the heart of the city, the wards on the periphery have street dog menace, poor lighting among other issues but barely get representation while being considered under various schemes like Animal Birth Control.

The citizens of dozens of old panchayat wards have started paying more tax, higher phone bill and  tariff ever since being added to city in the last one or two decades. With weak zonal offices to bank on they have to still depend on city centre for everything.

As per Alamcode Surendran, the councillor of Chempazhanthy, a ward which is closer to Pothencode than with Palayam, his people gets little help from Sreekariyam ward.

“Old people, disabled men, widows all have to shuttle around for their pension which is often denied for months.  The corporation had no wish to decentralise their services. We have no aerobic bins and if our lighting is good, it could be only because of MLA funds,” he said.

A  few wards under Kazhakoottam zonal office had threatened to break away and form a separate municipality over alleged step-motherly  treatment.   

The newer wards added to the corporation in recent decades include Attipra, Kadakampakky, Venganoor, Kazhakoottm, Thiruvallam, Kudappanakkunnu, Kinavoor, Vattiyoorkavu and  Ponnumangalam.