Call for reopening ‘Take a Break' centre near Ekm boat jetty
Kochi: Demand for reopening
District Tourism Promotion Council
's (DTPC) 'Take a Break' refreshment centre near
Ernakulam Boat Jetty
is getting louder. The facility, which has not been functional for many months, served hundreds of commuters daily.
Its prolonged closure caused significant inconvenience to regular travellers.
'Take a Break' outlets across the state are roadside refreshment centres launched by tourism department. Besides the refreshment area, unisex resting areas, toilets and ATM counters are its features. Tourism department planned the outlets as rest areas at every two-hour driving distance on all highways and major tourism destinations.Earlier, there were complaints that the counter at Boat Jetty wasn't meeting the purpose of a comfort centre as it was modified into a roadside restaurant.T N Prathapan of Janakeeya Anweshana Samithi wrote to the tourism director complaining against the outlet's closure. "DTPC invested Rs 48 lakh to construct the 'Take a Break,' which includes a toilet, ATM, and cafeteria. Since its opening, the building was not used effectively for its intended purpose, except for a large restaurant operating there. Tourism department's objective for building this facility remains unfulfilled, as it hasn't served travellers for resting or using the toilet. The sewage tank designed for this building fills up every two weeks, and the responsibility for emptying it regularly was a herculean task. An investigation should be conducted against those who planned, estimated and constructed this building, and an inquiry should be conducted into how long it has been operational," wrote Prathapan in the letter.Meanwhile, DTPC secretary Lijo Joseph said that the process to lease out the outlet to a new entrepreneur is ongoing, and it would be reopened soon. "There are some issues with the outlet's sewage tank, and it will be resolved soon," he said.
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