KOCHI:GCDA chief C N Mohanan on Thursday stepped down from the post after a relatively short tenure. He quit as GCDA chief to take over as the CPM district secretary. Mohanan submitted his resignation to GCDA secretary Usha Kumari.
The outgoing GCDA chairman told reporters here the biggest achievement of his 20 month-long tenure was regaining the people’s confidence in GCDA, which was lost due to the corruption charges levelled against the previous council.
“For the U-17 FIFA World Cup, we were able to raise the JLN Stadium to global standards. Within a short span of time, we carried out the necessary preparatory works. the stadium’s generators and drainage system were also modernised,” said Mohanan.
He said the slum eradication programme which had been stuck in the red tape was given a fresh lease of life during his tenure. “The 84 inhabitants of P&D Colony will be rehabilitated at the property owned by GCDA at Mundamveli. The construction work was launched by the Chief Minister last month,” he said.
Mohanan said revamping the laser show is another achievement by the council lead by him. “The previous council launched the laser show at the Rajendra Maidan which was stopped after corruption charges were levelled against them. What we did was to revamp the entire thing which enables the public to watch the laser show free. The GCDA will get a monthly revenue from the operator,” he added. Regarding the ongoing projects, Mohanan said the renovation work of the Kaloor Market has begun and a panel of retired electrical engineers was formed for the purpose. He said the cage fish farm at Mundamveli will be revamped soon. “The Expression of Interest (EoI) for Mundamveli will be invited soon,” he said.
V Salim emerges front-runner
Kochi: V Salim, the CPM’s Aluva area secretary, is likely to succeed outgoing GCDA chief C N Mohanan who demitted office on Thursday. Mohanan told reporters the new chairman will be appointed soon. The new incumbent will indeed be from the CPM since sources confirmed it is the ruling party’s prerogative to have its nominee elected to the top post. “We hope the government will complete the necessary procedures for appointing the new chairman soon,” he said.