THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Two years is a lot of time for a gate to come up; more so when it is meant as a memorial. In that terms, the half-done structure in front of the City Corporation would best fit the term ‘mockery’, than ‘memorial’. No wonder the Corporation is having second thoughts about the spending on a gate when many of its officials would love to have rooms to sit and work. The Corporation is now planning the construction of a building for its officials and sparing less thought on the gate.In November 2010, when City Express had quizzed the new Council members on the delay in the construction of the memorial gate, supposedly a 70th birthday gift for the local body by the previous Council led by Jayan Babu, they had set the date in a month’s time for its completion. Now, almost one-and-a-half years later, the structure remains the same, but the enthusiasm has waned."It is the delay caused by the contractor. We served a notice on him, but are yet to receive a reply. So, the matter has been forwarded to the Finance Standing Committee and the Council might soon take up the matter. The contract will be terminated and we will go for somebody else,’’ said A Shaik Ismail, Corporation Engineer.When contacted, Deputy Mayor G Happykumar said that the Committee had decided not to release money for the contractor from the Plan fund. ‘’The previous Council had begun the work on the Own Fund, but there was shortage of money and then the contractor slow-pedalled and we faced all the flak,’’ he said.However, sources say the present Council has serious reservations about the construction of a memorial gate spending a huge amount when the focus should have been on creating work spaces for its officials.The large structure, flaunting a traditional architecture, has not gone down well with many. "What is it, the entrance to a temple? Are the ones sitting inside ‘Gods’?’’ snapped an official. The construction of the gate has also posed other ‘space problems’, sources said."The original idea was to build another small gate near the Sulabh comfort station. It was decided to make the main entrance the only entry point and make the gate near the KSUDP office the exit point. But the gate would kill the appearance of the Corporation building itself,’’ said an official.A higher official told City Express that the local body was thinking of a new building in the present parking area inside the main office compound. The Deputy Mayor agreed that the working space for officials was indeed a problem. "A new building can solve the issue,’’ he said. The parking lot near the Indian Coffee House building might be used for the purpose.
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