Vilappilsala Park stranded

Thiruvananthapuram: The amusement park project at Vilappilsala proposed in the 2017-2018 budget of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation has not been even presented for the District Planning Committee’s clearance. 

The plot, though in Vilappil panchayat, is owned by the Corporation. The LDF led council is hopeful that there will be no Opposition from the local body. However, none from the corporation has contacted Vilappil panchayat  president L. Vijayraj to discuss it. “I did read about the project in the newspaper, but no one has contacted me. I believe the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University was planning to set up a facility here. I do not know about its status,” he says. The corporation has not dropped the project, asserts Deputy Mayor Rakhi Ravikumar. She is hopeful that it will be presented in the future DPC meetings. Sources say that the corporation was trying to  approach businessmen based in Kerala to seek their help before inviting open tenders. It is learnt that there will be a serious discussion with the Mayor on this. 

Meanwhile, the 49 acres in Vilappil panchayat is filled with overgrown weeds. A contractor who was awarded Rs 1.5 lakh tender to take the yield out of the fruit-bearing trees let go of the contract. He could not enter the space as it was full of snakes. “Who would spend their time and effort cleaning 49 acres?” asks an elected representative.