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'Want votes? Then, answer our questions,' say posters put up by voters in Kochi's Chellanam

KOCHI: Gone are the days when the citizens could be taken for a ride by the politicians through false promises. Today, they are posing questions to the candidates to gauge who is fit to be their representative. Taking an innovative route, the residents of wards 1 to 11 of the Chellanam grama panchayat and divisions 70, 71, and 72 of Kochi Corporation have compiled a list of queries, printed them into notices, and pasted them on the walls of their houses, as well as on the gates. The aim? To gauge whether the Local Self Government (LSGD) election candidates have any inkling of the issues plaguing these areas, and if so, do they have any solutions. We no longer can be taken for a ride, V T Sebastian, general convenor of Chellanam Kochi Janakeeya Vedi. The decision to put up these notices on the walls had been taken unanimously by the residents, he added. Another LSGD election is upon us. Candidates and political parties will start coming to our houses in the coming days to seek votes. We dont believe in political affiliations or rhetoric on development. The residents of Chellanam - Kochi coastal region have some serious issues that need to be addressed, said Sebastian. Some of the questions that have been posed by the residents are aimed at finding out whether the candidates are aware of the environmental issues that affect the very existence of the coastal region. Studies say that five per cent of Kochi's area will sink by 2040. Is such a serious environmental crisis a topic of discussion in the LSGD elections What plan do the candidates and political parties who are seeking votes have to deal with this problem? said Adv Thushar Nirmal Sarathi, working chairperson of the Vedi. Some of the questions that have been posed by the residents are aimed at finding out whether the candidates are aware of the environmental issues that affect the very existence of the coastal region. Another question listed in the notice is How are you going to deal with this problem if you come to power? The residents pointed out how five months have passed since the state government promised to implement the proposal announced to protect the Chellanam-Wet Kochi coast from sea erosion. The state government's announcement that the construction of the tetrapod sea wall and the groyne embankment to northward of Puthanthodu has not been implemented yet, they added. Other questions on the list are: Why is the construction of the sea wall and the groyne embankment northwards from Puthenthodu being delayed When will the construction of the tetrapod sea wall start? Are the LDF and their candidates ready to guarantee that there will be no sea erosion problems on the Chellanam-West Kochi coast from next year? If the UDF comes to power in the panchayat, what plan will be put before the people to prevent sea rise? Sebastian told TNIE that the residents would be asking these questions to the candidates who come seeking their votes. This will also enable us to understand how knowledgeable the candidates are. Though if one were to look at the educational qualifications of the candidates, they might get disappointed, he added.