THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The capital city will finally get a shot at a buzzing nightlife, replete with round-the-clock shopping zones and eateries, with the state government giving the nod to the project, the first of its kind in the state. The project, which will be piloted in the state capital, is expected to revolutionise the shopping scenario. The plan is to roll out the project in all major cities in the state by April.
The state government has issued a directive to the corporation to identify safe corridors and shopping areas in city limits to implement the project. A permanent committee comprising officials of tourism, police, local bodies and labour departments will be formed to ensure the smooth implementation of the project.
Welcoming the move, Mayor K Sreekumar said the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation will ensure the execution of the project. He said that a majority of the stretches in the city have the potential to get selected for the same.
“We have already identified a few vending zones under the Smart City project. Busier and commercially active areas in the city limits, such as the corridor from Kesavadasapuram to East Fort, can be made part of the initiative. Shankhumukham Road, Kazhakoottam-Technopark stretch, Karamana Road,
Sasthamangalam and Palayam will also be considered. We will have more clarity after the committee to oversee the project is formed,” he said. Nightlife has been a long-pending demand of youngsters in Thiruvananthapuram. Rahul Chandran, an employee at Technopark, is looking forward to the initiative.
“There are around 60,000 employees in the IT park. The majority of them are from other states or countries. We work under stress and at the end of the day, there are no avenues for entertainment. Now we await the weekend to enjoy. Finally, we are grateful that the authorities concerned have introduced the nightlife project,” he said.