With the academic year all set to begin, the District Development Committee (DDC) has decided to intensify preventive measures to ensure the safety of students.
While Excise officials have been directed to arrange a special patrolling system to curb the sale of narcotics in educational institutions, continuous monitoring and awareness campaigns will also be held. Speaking at the meeting, P.S. Supal, MLA, said that home guards could be deployed at junctions with heavy vehicular movement to control traffic and pedestrian crossings. He also demanded the arrangement of a fire and rescue unit in landslide-prone Thenmala along with measures to start a permanent unit there. Filling vacant posts in Punalur Taluk Hospital and starting in-patient treatment facility at Achencoil PHC were other issues raised.
G.S. Jayalal, MLA, said that an officer should be appointed to supervise the works in connection with the construction of the National Highway to avoid pipe bursts. It was also directed to complete the tender process of the Ponkiranam project to make Anganwadis smart and to expedite the work of the ‘Janapaksha Chathannur’ project, which will enable people-friendly government offices. Kovoor Kunjumon, MLA, demanded immediate disbursal of compensation for those who suffered losses in heavy rains and strong winds that lashed across the district during the past few days.
“Strict action should be taken against agriculture officers who do not visit the affected areas,” he said. Representative of N.K. Premachandran, MP, demanded action against autorickshaws that plied without using fare meters within the corporation limits and charged excessive amounts. Issues like fitness of ambulances in the district, action against buildings operating without NOC of fire department, and the recruitment of differently abled candidates were raised by the representative of Kodikunnil Suresh, MP.
The need to clear canals and other waterbodies to ensure water flow during monsoon was brought to the attention of DDC by K.B. Ganesh Kumar, MLA. He also demanded action against illegal vendors, parking on the roadsides, and steps to expedite the second phase of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM). Collector Afsana Parveen chaired the meeting while ADM R. Binarani, District Planning Officer P.J. Amina, and other officials were present.
