Various organisations, including Citizens for Sustainable Alternatives, Tree Walk and the Attakulangara School Samrakshana Samiti, have demanded that the Attakulangara school and Chala market be declared as Unesco heritage sites.

“The Attakulangara school was started more than 134 years ago and it has a long traditional relevance in history. It has trained many eminent personalities,” said veteran journalist B.R.P. Bhaskar, addressing a press conference here on Monday.

Though the Centre had declared similar initiatives for several schools of repute, there was no positive response from the State government even after filing many petitions on behalf of the Attakulangara school.

As for the Chala market, the Trivandrum Development Authority (TRIDA) had announced plans to transform the area into a shopping mall. This conversion of Chala would not benefit the traders in any manner, who were asking for a proper drainage system, waste disposal, fire safety measures, good bus stops and parking spaces, the organisations said.

Minister, VS petitioned

A petition containing 3,000 signatures had been handed over to Cultural Affairs Minister K.C Joseph and Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan earlier this month, they said, adding that the Director of Archaeology had been requested to study the entire Fort area along with the Arts and Heritage Commission so as to declare it as a heritage zone.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by A Correspondent / Thiruvananthapuram – December 06th, 2014