Thiruvananthapuram corporation to conduct streetlight survey

Thiruvanathapuram: The city corporation plans to take the help of the electrical diploma students to  ascertain the number of streetlights in the corporation area.
The decision  came after a discussion on the discrepancies in KSEB bills in Thursday’s council meeting. The corporation has been paying bills for incandescent bulbs and mercury vapour lamps which have been supposedly phased out, according to Thrikkannapuram councillor K.  Anilkumar.  Mayor V.K. Prasanth said that while KSEB, at a recent review meeting, reiterated that there were 85,000 lights, the corporation disagreed over the number.

Through the survey, the number and type of light as well as other details like the width of road will be recorded. The civic body has also decided to write to MLAs and MPs  not to spend their funds on erecting high mast lights. The meeting also discussed how in various wards, though the councillors would have given their approval for tar cutting for laying commercial optical fibre cables eight months ago,  the actual work would start only after the road is retarred. Works standing committee chairperson Shafeera Beegum was instructed by the mayor to ensure councillors’ approval before work begins.

Moreover, it was decided that approval should expire by a date  so that work is completed in a time-bound manner.  The mayor said that Thiruvananthapuram should consider introducing ‘track rent’ system like Kochi. Tax appeal standing committee, for the first time, tabled its decisions in the council. After a long debate  over GST, 11 agenda items of finance standing committee were put on hold for the next council.