K Sreekumar, Mayor of Thiruvanathapuram inaugurated a public toilet at Putharikhandam Maidanam in the morning today. Rakhi Ravi Kumar, Deputy Mayor, Thiruvanathapuram Corporation, P Bala Kiran, CEO, Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Limited (SCTL) and members of the Standing Committee were also present at the occasion.
The facility is built up in 75 sq. m of land area and was developed at a cost of Rs 7 lakh. Sulabh International, the company which built the toilet is also entrusted with the responsibility of its maintenance as well. Further, the public toilets present in the ABD area required repairs and the work on the same are being undertaken by the SCTL under the smart city mission.
The Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Limited (SCTL) was constituted as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for implementing the Centre’s Smart City Mission in Thiruvananthapuram. As per Smart City proposal there are 43 project modules with a total project costing of Rs1538 crore. Of the total costing, Rs 500 crore was from the centre, Rs 500 crore from the state, Rs 136 crore from Thiruvanathapuram Corporation, Rs 260 crore from other central schemes and Rs 142 crore through Public Private Partnership (PPP).
As of yet, for SCTL has received a total sum of Rs 252 crore from the centre and the state of which only Rs 106 crore has been released to SCTL. The M/s IPE Global was awarded consultancy on May 2018.
A detailed project report (DPR) for projects worth Rs 1298.82 crore has been complete so far and a sanction of Rs 1117.02 crore has been issued. The projects which received the administrative sanctions involve Smart Roads (Rs 444 crore), Redevelopment of Palayam Market with MLCP (Rs 113.61 crore), Integrated Command and Control Centre (Rs 78.01 crore), Traffic and Safety Command and Control Centre (Rs 48.64 crore), Underground subway at East Fort (Rs 43 crore), MLCP at A Block TRIDA (Rs 27.96 crore), MLCP at Thambanoor (Rs 22.90 crore), Adaptive traffic control system: ATCS (Rs 20.08 crore), OAT at Putharikhandam Maidanam (Rs 15.93 crore), Charitra Veedhi (Rs 5.81 crore), Rooftop Solar Panel Installations (Rs 4.11 crore), Drinking Water Fountains (Rs 2.17 crore), Cultural Street- Manaveeyam Veedhi (Rs 1.92 crore), Upgradation of Public Toilets (Rs 1.32 crore), Redevelopment of Parks and Open Gym Installations (Rs 1.43 crore), Development of Smart Bus Shelters at 6 locations (Rs 1.06 crore), Rain Water harvesting (Rs 86 lakhs), Procurement of E-autos & E-rickshaws (Rs 60 lakhs), Upgradation of Anganwadi’s and PHC (Rs 77 Lakhs). There are other Convergence projects which are already implemented under Swadesh Darshan Project and AMRUT (infrastructure projects) Water supply, Drainage and Storm Water Drains.
Status of projects:
Many of the projects are in the final stages of implementation like
- Installation of solar rooftop panels on 5 buildings
- Kerala Legislative Assembly (ongoing)
- University Library (ongoing)
- Central Library (ongoing)
- Women’s College (ongoing)
- Central School (ongoing)
- Renovation of Toilets at 6 locations
- Corporation (completed)
- Putharikhandam (completed)
- Thambanoor Sulabh (to start soon),
- KSRTC in gate (Completed)
- KSRTC out gate (to start soon)
- Vanjiyoor (to start soon)
- Reconstruction of Toilets at 3 locations
- Opp. New Theatre (Started)
- East Fort (not Started)
- Nr. Padamanabha Theatre (Not started)
- Anganwadi at 3 locations
- Fort Sanskrit School, (Completed)
- Thampanoor UP School (Completed)
- Rajaji Nagar (Completed)
- Development of Smart Bus Shelters at 3 locations,
- Ayurveda College (Completed),
- Panavilla (Completed),
- Thambanoor RMS (Ongoing)
- Killipalam – 2 Nos. (ongoing)
- Opp. Women’s College (Yet to Start)
- Construction of information kiosks
- Corporation (ongoing)
- Gandhi Park (ongoing)
- Installation of Drinking Water Kiosks at 25 locations in ABD Area
- Park Redevelopment
- Ponnara Sridhar Park (Work Started)
Development projects to start by March end
A few projects that are expected to begin by March end are – Construction of a multi level car parking at Thambanoor; Bio-mining of waste as a part of Palayam Market Redevelopment project; Installing rain water harvesting system in Corporation buildings and a Women’s College; Redevelopment of Putharikhandam Maidanam and EK Nayanar park; Redevelopment of Tanks – Puthenchanda and Sreekandeshwaram; Handover of electric rickshaws and e-autos to beneficiaries for operating these vehicles.
Further, tenders for a few projects have been floated such as Redevelopment of Palayam Market, Construction of MLCP at A Block, Palayam (Behind Saphalyam Complex), Traffic and Safety Command and Control Centre & ATCS (Rs. 68.6 Cr.), Vending Zone at RKV Road.
The construction sites are regularly supervised and monitored by SCTL’s Project Management Consultant team (M/s IPE Global Ltd) for quality standards. SCTL is also planning to rope in empanelled agencies of Government of Kerala for minor civil works and long term asset maintenance of all projects so that they get hand on training in such works. Start-ups are also being encouraged for participation for various works depending on domain expertise. SCTL would like to encourage private companies to participate in the development or maintenance works of SCTL by leveraging their CSR funds.
