Redesign Sri Chitra home: Youth panel

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A meeting was convened on Thursday by social welfare minister K M Muneer and health minister V S Sivakumar to resolve the dispute over constructing a residential school and commercial complex at Sri chitra home for destitute and infirm. During the meeting, the commission made a demand to redesign the building with separate spaces for underage and grown up inmates.
The commission also made 29 other suggestions to improve the security of the home. They have been opposing the proposal by district collector and managing committee of the home to set up a commercial complex within the home premises citing security reasons.
The proposal stated that the auditorium located along the peripheral wall of the home, where weekly lottery draw of the government takes place, can be upgraded to a five-story building complex. While the ground floor of the building would be retained as auditorium, the other floors can be converted into tailoring and embroidery units and a printing press.
"The entrance to the auditorium falls within the home premises. This should be changed so that the lottery agents can enter directly from outside. A separate entrance to reach the other floors for the inmates must be constructed'', said advocate R V Rajesh, chairman, state youth commission. He said that the auditorium could also be rented out for purposes like wedding ceremonies to generate more revenue. He also added that security would not be compromised at any cost.
The commission also commission proposed to build a wedding hall at the home. It also suggested that the employment training units at the home can be upgraded with the cooperation of organizations such as Keltron and SIDCO.
District collector Biju Prabhakar, social welfare department director V N Jithendran, former director J Lalithambika and actor Suresh Gopi were also present at the meeting.