Protest spree delays war memorial work

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the MG Road turning into a political flash point frequently these days, the renovation work of the Palayam World War I memorial has come to a grinding halt.
Protest marches and scuffles on the road in front of the assembly have led to the disruption of the work, being undertaken by the Thiruvananthapuram Road Development Company Limited (TRDCL), for nearly 22 days.The work was suspended after a couple of hours on Friday after a DYFI protest march turned violent.
The memorial was constructed to commemorate the 'Nair Pattalam' of erstwhile Travancore.
"The police usually ask us to stop work ahead of any protest or rally being undertaken. They also ask us the shift the cement blocks being used for the construction of the boundary wall so as to prevent them being used the protesters in case they turn violent," said TRDCL vice president Anil Kumar Pandala.
He said the work which involves the construction of the boundary wall, renovation of the pillar and landscaping of the island, will be completed in 10 days.
Protest marches taken out by various youth organizations against the 'solar scam' has been creating traffic blocks on the MG Road for the past several days. The marches often turn violent forcing police to disperse the protestors using tear gas, water cannons, etc. The protesters have already damaged the landscaping done by the TRDCL at Palayam and Statue.
The memorial was in a state of neglect for several years. This forced the war veterans and army men to seek its immediate renovation.
The estimated cost of renovation is around Rs 60,000. The stone pillar will be given texture finish painting. "If it is raining, the work will take some more days to be completed," Pandala said.