The Hindu : Focus on need for overall development of city

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jun 21, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram

Focus on need for overall development of city

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM June 20. Speakers at a seminar on `Capital City Beautification' agreed upon the need for the overall development of Thiruvananthapuram city and also for restoring it to its past status as one of the cleanest cities in the country.

The Speaker, Vakkom Purushottaman, who inaugurated the seminar, said the city was in a totally neglected state. People were willing to come, stay and build their homes here, but they seemed to be opposed to the development of the city.

Almost all the past Governments had ignored the development of the capital city, he said. Offering his wholehearted support to the efforts to refurbish the image of the capital city, the Speaker felt there should be more discipline among the residents. Reminiscing about his days as a student in the city 50 years ago, Mr. Purushottaman said even the breezes then were gentle and the drinking water sweet. The director of the Vailoppilli Samskrithi Bhavan, M.G.Sasibhooshan, said the residents of the State capital were characterised by the regard they gave to various viewpoints, belief systems and faiths.

There had once been several floral gardens here, as was indicated by place-names like `Nandavanam', `Nanthancode' (Nandanamcode), `Thycaud' and `Vazuthacaud', he said. The city's rivulets should be revived and `Punna' trees planted along the coasts to prevent coastal erosion as was done in earlier days.

K. Mohankumar, MLA, said there was no other city which could boast of such a rich socio-cultural heritage as Thiruvananthapuram. A concerted effort was required for its overall development.

The general secretary of the Federation of Residents' Associations Thiruvananthapuram (FRAT), Punchakkari Ravi, called for measures to fulfill long-standing demands such as the one for a High Court Bench. The TRIDA chairman, P.K.Venugopal said that good roads were a must if the capital city was to be developed into a first class city. The writer, George Onakkoor, also spoke.

The Speaker released a publication on the capital city, titled `Syananduram', by handing over a copy to the Mr. Onakkoor. The publication was brought out by the Capital City Development Council.

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