Row over ‘hurried’ Smart City Phase-2 nod

Thiruvananthapuram: The corporation council on Saturday witnessed sharp criticism over the ruling administration's move to fast-track approval of the second phase of the Smart City project. Opposition councillors alleged that the decision was taken in haste ahead of the mayor's scheduled visit to New Delhi to meet the Prime Minister. Opposition members said the project was placed before the council and approved without adequate discussion. Several councillors claimed they were unaware of the details. They demanded that the views of elected representatives be sought before clearing a project of such scale and financial implications. Members also objected to the agenda being circulated entirely in English, calling it a violation of democratic practice in a state where Malayalam is the official administrative language.
Following the criticism, officials of the Smart City Mission attended the council meeting and explained the project. Councillors pointed out that the usual practice in the corporation is to place agendas in advance after detailed deliberations in the standing committee meetings. Bypassing this process, they said, undermined informed decision-making. Senior LDF councillor K Sreekumar said technical, jargon-heavy English documents made it difficult for members to understand the proposal even after a quick reading. He urged the council to assess the financial burden carefully and insisted that procedural norms must be followed even in emergency meetings. "Democratic decorum must be upheld at all times," he said. LDF councillor R P Shivaji echoed the demand for agendas in Malayalam and called for detailed discussions. He said the corporation, which has earned recognition for its sanitation initiatives, should not dilute its consultative processes. UDF leader K S Sabarinadhan said the proposal appeared to have been brought without adequate study. He added that even councillors from wards likely to be affected by related projects were unaware of the plan. Responding to the criticism, mayor V V Rajesh said the notification for the second phase was received only on Jan 31 and the deadline for submission was Feb 15. "That is why the matter was brought before the council urgently," he said, adding that an emergency meeting was convened as he was scheduled to travel on Monday. However, several councillors said they could not attend standing committee meetings due to short notice. They also alleged that agendas of key committees were not circulated in time. The heated exchange ended with the mayor concluding the meeting abruptly and leaving the council hall. Earlier in the day, mayor Rajesh flagged off electric KSRTC bus services on 23 routes from Kodunganoor. The service, launched in coordination with the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation, is aimed at promoting sustainable urban transport. The electric buses are expected to reduce carbon emissions and improve last-mile connectivity, especially for commuters from interior areas.