Thiruvananthapuram: The Malayalam version of the agreement on the LED streetlight project with SIDCO is a classic case of language lost in translation, according to sources in the city corporation. This is one of the reasons why the agreement is taking more than its due time, they say. Mayor V.K. Prasanth said that the agreement with SIDCO will be brought up for the council's approval in the meeting to be held soon. It was over three months ago that the state government finally gave its nod for the project.
The original draft of the agreement was in English and a Malayalam version was requested for the benefit of councillors. However, officials say that the Malayalam document contradicts the original at various points. The tender for LED streetlights was invited in 2015, and in August that year the previous council decided to award the contract to SIDCO amidst protests from the Opposition. As per the contract, the city corporation will pay SIDCO Rs 1.25 crore as monthly maintenance charges for 10 years.
The file was awaiting approval from the state government. It got delayed as the electoral code of conduct was enforced twice - for the LSG and the Assembly elections. Now the state government has given its approval, but the corporation officials need to study the document. Corporation secretary M. Nizaruddin said, "the document is undergoing scrutiny, as every minute detail needs to be examined. It was just two days ago that the Malayalam document arrived at my desk. I am yet to notice the errors in translation. We will compare the English original with the Malayalam version," he said and added that it would also undergo legal whetting before it can be finalised.
