Council upset with govt on Smart City

 

Raising the issue,  Mr K.J. Antony, Opposition leader in the council,   alleged that members were kept in the dark on finalising the logo and tagline of the Smart City Mission by a leading media group. 

 

“While the logo and tagline of a Union government’s prestigious programme for the city is decided, why the councillors were not consulted?” he asked. He also alleged lapses by the  civic administration in finalising the concept plan of the Smart City Mission.

 

The councillors alleged that Smart City Mission director A.P.M. Muhammad Haneesh, in association with a Malayalam daily, had finalised the logo and tag line without obtaining the council's approval.

 

Replying to the debate, Mayor  Soumini Jain said that the civic body would formally take up the complaints with the state government. 

 

“The decision to conduct a contest to select the logo and tagline was taken by the district collector when he served as the Mayor for more than two weeks. If any decision had been taken on the mission without consulting the council, it will be taken seriously and  brought to the attention of the state government. Implementation of the Smart City project will be as per the guidelines of the Union government,” she said.

 

Since most of the councillors have no clear idea about the Smart City, one more orientation programme will be organised for them, added Ms. Jain.

 

The Mayor also announced that Rs. 2 lakh would be soon allocated to each division for emergency cleaning and de-silting of small drains.

 

“The estimate for cleaning big drains and canals will be taken later as part of pre-monsoon cleaning,” she said.

 

Some of the other topics debated in the council meeting were the delay in the disbursement of welfare pensions, shortage of health workers, non-availability of medicines at homoeo dispensaries, erection of unauthorised mobile phone towers and  development of 40-feet road.