THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Soon after the state government gave its nod to the Kudumbashree Mission to undertake minor repairing and construction work, the Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Ltd (SCTL) has roped in registered groups under Kudumbashree Constructions to execute key smart projects in the state capital. Many projects under the Smart City initiative were hit badly by the lockdown and the Covid-19 outbreak.
The Smart City authorities were in a fix after contractors left few of the crucial projects halfway.
“The work of Thampanoor bus terminal toilets was one such project that was left incomplete. The information kiosks at Gandhi Park and on City Corporation main office premises were also stranded. Now, we have roped in registered Kudumbashree groups for completing these projects,” said an SCTL official. The company has already ordered infrastructure for setting up the kiosks, which would be finished as top priority.
According to SCTL, the decision of the finance department to involve Kudumbashree in construction activities has come as a boon. “We don’t have an engineering wing like the civic body. For every project, we have to invite tenders, which is a time-consuming process. Now we will be able to use Kudumbashree’s manpower for minor maintenance works and execution of small projects. This would give them a lot of exposure and confidence to undertake major works in the future,” said the SCTL executive.
According to a Kudumbashree Constructions official, the rainwater harvesting project at Women’s College, Vazhuthacaud is the only project Kudumbashree has bagged. “The other two projects are in the final stages. Similarly, the toilet block at Thampanoor bus terminal only requires tile laying and final finishing touch,” said the official.
“Around 60 per cent of the workers are women and 40 per cent are men. We have a mix of skilled and unskilled workers in each group. These people also get the opportunity to learn and develop their skill,” added the spokesperson.