KOCHI: K Chandran Pillai, a senior CPM leader and former MP, took charge as the chairman of the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) on Monday. After assuming office, he said, “Everyone should work together on the development projects of the city, and I seek all cooperation and support.”
He also said that Kochi is not the same old Kochi, with its requirements having changed. “GCDA has always prioritised development perspectives over administrative matters. There is a lot that needs to be done considering the expansive needs of a changing Kochi,” Chandran said.
Members of the reconstituted executive committee and the general council — comprising the mayor, MLAs, other people’s representatives, government representatives, and bureaucrats — need to work together on the development projects, he said. The new GCDA chairman also touched upon Kochi’s position as an internationally renowned city, which has also been identified by the United Nations as among those facing the effects of global warming and climate change.
“With mankind working against global warming, greater Kochi is also involved in its remedial action. The development of Kochi and its suburbs will involve all agencies. The city will seek international expertise and will adopt role models from developed cities worldwide,” he said.
The former MP wants the Union government’s new initiatives in urban development to come to Kochi too. “The state government has also given special consideration to the developmental projects in Kochi. The city’s development includes all sections of the population beyond politics,” he said.