KOCHI:The 10 makeshift shops in HMT Junction posing an obstruction to the development in the area will soon be moved to the allotted bunks in the three separate regions of Kalamassery. The move is now made possible as electricity and water connections have been given for the bunks.
On May 26, the bunks were allotted to the shop owners according to the lot they picked. The monsoon and the delay in electricity and water connection had made them wait this long for the move. The municipality has handed over the documents related to the bunks to the owners, facilitating their move.Of the 10 bunks made by the municipality and PWD , three are situated on the Edappally-Maithanam Road while another three are located near Sea Park in South Kalamassery. The rest are at TVS Junction on the national highway. The monthly rent is Rs 1,000.
“As the ownership is in the name of the municipality, they cannot hand over the bunk to anyone else. If that happens, the bunk will be taken back by the municipality,” said Jessy Peter, Chairperson, Kalamassery Municipality.
The HMT Junction development which was in a sunken state for the past five years again got a lease of life last year when an action committee - ‘HMT Junction Development’ - formed under the leadership of former municipality standing committee chairperson M Nandakumar submitted a mass petition of 50,000 people to the Chief Minister directly. The action council also demanded the widening of the old national highway stretch from Social Church Junction to TVS Junction via HMT Junction.PWD Minister G Sudhakaran and Education Minister C Raveendranath had directly involved in the issue following the Chief Minister’s instruction.