Residents� council submits proposals to VS

KOCHI: The Ernakulam District Residents Association Apex Council (EDRAAC) will organise a development seminar in March, as a follow-up of the one recently held. The observations made for comprehensive and planned development of the city was presented to the Chief Minister last week.



A delegation comprising P. Rangadasa Prabhu, president and T.S. Madhavan, treasurer of EDRAAC, and M.T. Varghese, convener of the development seminar, presented the outline to the Chief Minister.



The representation has urged the State Government to conceive better coordination between different agencies involved in the developmental works of the city.



One of the key proposals made at the seminar, which was held at BTH here on December 19, was the formation of a Kochi Metropolitan District, comprising all the Greater Kochi area and modelled on other metro cities like Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. There should be a centralised administrative system for the new district.



Subject experts and representatives of voluntary organisations should be made part of the governing body of the metro city.



The seminar also listed out lack of proper public transport facilities as a stumbling block in the development of the city.



Suggestions made in this regard included having a better public transport system by forming a corporate body representing all private bus operators, completion of the Vytilla bus terminal and improving the condition of roads.



It has also called for the metro rail, suburban train service connecting Kochi to nearby cities like Kottayam and Thrissur to take the load off the road and improving inland water transport.



Proper facilities for treating solid waste, better supply of drinking water and power and sustainable tourism models based on environment and heritage are other demands covered in the representation.



�Copies of the representation have been given to the District Collector, all the Ministers and MLAs from the district. The next seminar will discuss each of these sectors in detail,� said A. Ajith Kumar, acting general secretary of EDRAAC.



The representation urged the Chief Minister to convene a meeting of Union and State ministers as well as high-level officials to discuss the developmental proposal. The next seminar will be held along with the general body meeting of EDRAAC.