Kochi: Chinese help to go waste

Kochi: The state has missed the chances for getting funds from China for conserving the iconic Chinese fishing nets in Fort Kochi. Top Chinese delegations led by the Ambassador to India, Le Yucheng, visited Kochi in July 2014 and May 2015 and during discussions with civic authorities, they offered technical and financial assistance for the conservation of Chinese nets.

As the tourism department and civic body failed to take follow up measures, the project has to be dropped. The Rs. 1.5 crore allocated by the state government for Chinese nets conservation in August 2014 will also be lapsed with only two months left for the fiscal end.

The Chinese authorities have also expressed their willingness to fund a beautification project including the construction of a walkway from Fort Kochi to Chellanam. Tony Chammany, who was the Mayor then, had  announc-ed that the project would be implemented with the support of the district administration and the Tourism Department, after getting nevessary approval to rec-eive foreign funds. However, nothing has happened.

Dominic Presentation MLA told DC that the state government or the civic body could not process the financial assistance offer as it was not legally possible. "To get foreign funds for any project, the Centre’s  nod is mandatory and no foreign country can directly provide financial assistance to the state. To get foreign funds, the state should formulate and submit a project to the Centre," he said.

But, stakeholders in the tourism sector say that the authorities could have prepared a project proposal and get it approved by the Centre. "The authorities can't wash their hands of their responsibility. Even the Chinese officials, during their visit, expressed surprise over authorities’ negligent attitude in conserving the heritage structures," said M. P. Sivadathan, member of the Fort Kochi heritage zone conservation society. There were more than 30 Chinese nets in Fort Kochi and Vypeen which has now reduced to 20 now.
 

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