Date:26/01/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/01/26/stories/2007012600130200.htm

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Poor turnout at JNNURM meet

A crucial meeting of the Government-level steering committee held here on Saturday to finalise the projects for the Jawharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) for Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi was marked by poor turnout of MLAs representing the capital city.

While Kochi was represented by Dinesh Mani and Ibrahim Kunhu, all the three MLAs from Thiruvananthapuram, N. Sakthan, V.Sivankutty and Surendran Pillai, were conspicuous by their absence. On top of it, Minister representing the capital city M.Vijayakumar also did not participate, along with Finance Minister Thomas Isaac and Public Works Minister T.U.Kuruvila.

Chief Minister V.S.Achuthanandan, who presided over the meeting, left half way through, leaving the other participants to finalise the projects. Minister for Local Self Government Paloli Mohammed Kutty was the only one to sit through the conference.

T. Nandakumar