THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even as the authorities work up a sweat transforming Thiruvananthapuram into a Smart City, instances of vandalism at public amenities set up under the Smart City Mission are becoming a menace. Miscreants have caused substantial damage to several public properties including the upcoming Smart Anganwadi at Rajaji Nagar, the public toilet inside the Thampanoor Bus Terminal and the Open Gym at East Fort. With the number of instances rising, the corporation has sought the help of the police.
The authorities of Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Ltd (SCTL) are alleging targeted attacks on their projects by anti-social elements. Recently, the new Smart Anganwadi building was vandalised even before its official inauguration. The windows of the building were found shattered with pellet holes. Close to `5.27 crore was sanctioned under the Smart City Mission upgradaing the Aanganwadi and the primary health centre at Rajaji Nagar.
“On one side, we are trying hard to finish all the projects while on the other, miscreants are destroying them. The work on the Smart Anganwadi was almost complete but the vandalism has come as a huge blow. Our efforts are going to waste,” said an official. The open gym, which was inaugurated with much fanfare a couple of months ago, was also damaged. “Most of the equipment was in a bad shape, it was fixed recently,” the official said.
The SCTL is implementing various infrastructure projects worth `1,538.2 crore in the state capital as part of the scheme. Mayor K Sreekumar said that the issue has come to the notice of the civic body. “We will be taking this up seriously with the police. Whoever is behind such illegal activities would be punished. I strongly urge the public to intervene if they come across any such activities and inform the authorities immediately,” said the Mayor.
Thampanoor councillor Jayalakshmi stated that the incidents are unfortunate. “It was disheartening to see the wreck at the bus terminal. The entire floor and toilet have been damaged. I have informed the Kerala Transport Development Financial Corporation (KTDFC) and they have promised to fix it,” said Jayalakshmi.