Neglected: The remains of a rain shelter that was collapsed after a tree fell on it a few months ago at Mananchira Square in Kozhikode. more-in The Kozhikode Corporation is looking for ways to refurbish the ill-maintained Mananchira Square, a popular spot for the city residents to unwind, as it could not find takers for the park renovation. Tenders were floated twice after the annual maintenance contract expired last year. So a five-year contract was proposed, but to no avail. One of the reasons cited by aspirant contractors for not participating in the tenders was the Good and Services Tax (GST) levied on the amount. So corporation employees were tasked to maintain the park for the last three-to-four months. But most of the time the employees are unavailable for various reasons, M.C. Anil Kumar, chairman, Standing Committee on Town Planning, told the council meeting on Wednesday. Several councillors, including K.T. Beeran Koya of the Indian Union Muslim League, who initiated the discussion, said the park now existed in the midst of overgrown shrubbery. Aggressive pruning was required to clear the tangled bushes. The debris of a shelter which came down during a downpour a month ago was yet to be removed. The entire areas was infested with reptiles, including snakes. It was a shame that the corporation was unable to maintain its iconic park, he said. No generator Similarly, several councillors took up the issue of the corporation being unable to install a generator at the Tagore Centenary Hall. Organisers of programmes had to take generator on rent to power the air-conditioner inside the hall, C. Abdurahiman of the IUML said. Initially, P. Kishenchand representing Nadakkavu ward said that the speakers at a Mohammed Rafi Night programme on Tuesday evening used abusive language against the councillors and the Mayor. However, Syed Muhammed Shameel of the UDF said the audience was furious when the generator went off and the corporation electrician left home early. In his reply, Mayor Thottathil Raveendran said the Public Works Department engineer was yet to respond to the corporation’s request to install a new generator. The council also adopted a resolution to register its protest against the cut down in the allocation from the Centre for the SSA project after M. Radhakrishnan of the CPI(M) raised the issue. The BJP members opposed the resolution while the Congress and IUML members supported it. Congress leader P.M. Suresh Babu raised the issue of migrant workers’ poor housing in a squalid building at Malaparamba. He was supported by K.C. Shobitha, also of the Congress party.

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