Renaming roads at whim is set to become a thing of the past in the city.
The Kochi Corporation has decided not to alter existing road names or rename them at the whim of individuals and organisations, after similar attempts in the past had landed the civic body in trouble, including litigation.
“Names of roads, even if unofficial but widely used by the public, will not be changed impulsively. New names will be assigned only to nameless roads. Any change in existing names will strictly comply with the Kerala Municipality Act, under which such demands must be submitted in writing by residents on both sides of the road concerned,” said Mayor V.K. Minimol.
One such renaming during the tenure of the previous council in West Kochi had to be reversed following popular protest and even threats of communal discord. The councillor concerned had secured approval for the change at the Ward Sabha and later at the council, but was forced to return to the council in tears to request reinstatement of the old name after widespread opposition culminated in a protest march to her residence. Though the council effected the reversal, the matter eventually reached the court, which directed the Corporation to hear the aggrieved party.
