THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: When RTI activist Ajay S. Kumar raised the issue of the expenses incurred for the ongoing construction of the fish market at Pangode, he received different statistics from the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. Initially, they informed that the amount allocated was Rs 1.92 crore, and after a gap of eight months, they replied yet again that it was Rs 1.49 crore. Ajay who is also an employee in an IT company in Technopark had given a RTI query before the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation during November last about the details regarding the ongoing work at Pangode fish market at Edapazhanji.
Accordingly, he got a reply from the State Public Information Officer and assistant engineer in the engineering division stating that Rs 1, 92, 82, 258 crore had been allotted. Later the RTI activist raised the same query before the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation again this month. “This time I got the answer that Rs 1, 49, 19, 822 crore had been allotted for the ongoing work at Pangode. There is a discrepancy in the two RTI replies I have received which is really mysterious”, said Ajay.
In the latest RTI reply, an engineering division official had also stated that the electrification work was currently going on. Once it was done, the inauguration of the Pangode fish market would be held. The work on the Pangode fish market had started as early as 23 December in 2010 which is progressing at a snail’s pace. Local people and traders at the market have always alleged that both the LDF and UDF Governments had never taken the work of the Pangode fish market seriously.
