THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Mayor Arya Rajendran will hold a review meeting to discuss the smart city projects that have been stuck for more than a month owing to the Covid-19 situation.
The corporation will be keen on giving a new impetus to the projects that have missed the timelines owing to different reasons.
Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Ltd (SCTL), which had planned to launch the work on the Smart Road project in the city, had been forced earlier to put off the work owing to a directive from the District Collector banning any kind of road cutting till May 2 in the wake of Assembly elections.
The Smart Roads project had to go through a series of hurdles, starting with a delay in clearance from the public works department and then tender excess issue with participating firms quoting exorbitant rates for the work.
The plan was to start the work at least by March when the directive from the District Collector came forcing a change of plan.
However, since then, the onset of the second Covid-19 wave further impeded the progress of the work.
Presently, the Smart Roads project is being implemented only in three corporation roads around the East Fort region.
The choice of one of the roads for Smart Roads recently led to protests.
When the project team arrived at the site in February, residents protested.
Ward councillor Rajendran Nair also brought up the matter in the council recently.
The project encompasses features like pedestrian footpath/safe pathways, junction improvements, stormwater drains, utility conduits and underground ducts for electrical, KWA and communication lines.
Besides landscaping, streetscaping, provision of smart street furniture, creating and developing basic conveniences along the roads, are also included under the scope of work.
Regarding the work on the construction of the Integrated Command and Control Centre under the Smart City Project, SCTL had sought the intervention of the chief minister’s office.
Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the project that is being touted as one of the prestigious schemes under the Smart City Project.
Although the letter of award was issued to the contractor in August 2020, the site could not be handed over owing to strong objection from leftist unions.
The matter came up in the board meeting and SCTL stressed the need to start the work and sought the attention of Mayor Arya Rajendran.
The delay in handing over the site to the contractor could adversely affect the prospects of Thiruvananthapuram when it comes to achieving milestones and timelines in the completion of projects.
The mayor plans to address all these concerns in the review meeting scheduled on Thursday.