Pollution Control! Govt Employees Asked To Commute On Cycles To Work In Lakshadweep

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Pollution Control! Govt Employees Asked To Commute On Cycles To Work In Lakshadweep

The administration in a notification issued on Tuesday said that this will come into effect from tomorrow, April 6. The decision was taken during the meeting of the 13th Lakshadweep Pollution Control Committee held on January 28 this year.

The Lakshadweep Administration has released a circular assigning Wednesday of every week as 'Cycle Day' to curb pollution. Henceforth, all government officials would be asked to commute to work on their cycles on the designated day.

The circular mentioned that decision was taken as per the directive of the Lakshadweep Pollution Control Committee. The order from the secretariat also highlighted that people with disabilities and chronic illnesses are exempted from the order. While the order stated that it would be effective from April 6, some government officials asked for more time, while some followed the directives in letter and spirit.

Administration Focussing On Developmental Projects

Hindustan Times quoted the Collector Aksar Ali, "We want to promote an eco-friendly atmosphere on the island. Since it is a small place with a flat surface, cycling will be easy. Besides curbing vehicle pollution, it is good for the health of employees". He also mentioned that the UT's administration is steadily focussing on developmental projects, and while there would be initial hiccups and apprehensions, which would be cleared all along.

The Save Lakshadweep Foundation said that though the move was welcomed with open arms, there were no prior discussions with employees for the same. Nearly 9,600 employees are working in different administration departments, out of which over 5,500 people are permanent employees, and more than 4,000 people are serving on a casual basis.

Previous Protests

Last year, several hundreds of residents from the archipelago protested against the three reforms brought in by the administrator, Praful Khoda Patel, which the people felt threatened the culture and the tradition of the island. The reforms opposed making the island a major tourist destination, ban cattle slaughter, the two-child norm for local body members, liquor licence, goonda law and other new rules. At least 90 per cent of the population are Muslims and enjoy close ties with Kerala.

Also Read: Are Communal Clashes Tarnishing The Reputation Of Karnataka?

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