PLASTIC BOYCOTT AWARENESS DRIVE IN
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM
A city Corporation council meeting here on Friday decided
that a mass awareness programme on the total boycott of plastic carry bags will
be inaugurated by Cardinal Baselios Cleemis at Gandhi Park on Saturday morning.
It will mark the start of the drive for a complete ban on plastics that the
civic body intends to implement from January 1.,2013.Mayor K. Chandrika said
the first stage of the anti-plastic drive would focus on publicity and ban on
plastic carry bags The discussion on waste management touched upon the
installation of Radio Frequency Identification tags in houses.Most United
Democratic Front (UDF) councillors said it served no purpose. Kesavadasapuram
councillor Suresh Kumar said the tags had been installed in only a tiny
percentage of houses within the city limits.Deputy Mayor G. Happykumar said the
tags were installed in homes over a year ago to record the attendance of
Kudumbasree workers. “Since the Vilappilsala waste-treatment plant was shut
down soon after the tags were set up in most houses, they ceased to be
functional,” he said.
Works standing committee chairperson V.S. Padmakumar
raised the issue of the long-winded process that the elderly had to go through
to avail themselves of their pension. “The government’s insistence that an Aadhaar
registration is required, plus a bank account, has made it extremely difficult
for many to receive their pension,” he said.Others echoed this statement,
saying there were discrepancies in the criteria, and another survey was
necessary to ascertain the beneficiaries.The issue of shortage of ambulances
was raised by health standing committee chairperson S. Pushpalatha. Since two
ambulances were in the workshop, a resolution was adopted to take back the ones
from Government Hospital, Peroorkada (as it had been upgraded to a district
hospital), and the Pettah Veterinary Centre.
Prof.
John Kurakar
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