Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor has requested Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to bring back Neyyatinkara taluk under Thiruvananthapuram Revenue Divisional Office (RDO) or make Neyyatinkara the seat of RDO. The new RDO was catering to citizens of places in Kovalam, Parassala and Neyyatinkara legislative constituencies. The RDO was shifted to a location around a kilometre away from Valicode at Nedumangaud.

MP Shashi Tharoor pointed out that people of Neyyatinkara will now have to travel 34 km to reach Nedunmangaud RDO office via Kattakada instead of the 22 km to Thiruvananthapuram RDO office at Collectorate. Similarly, from Parassala people have to travel 48 km via Kallikad to reach the RDO office as against 32 kilometres to reach Thiruvananthapuram RDO. People of Poovar-Pozhiyoor area have to travel well over 50 kms to reach the new RDO.

“The unscientific nature of the new location is evident when we note that the distance from Balaramapuram to Thiruvananthapuram RD office is just 18 km. While it is argued that the shift has taken place for de-centralisation of power it is learnt to be causing trouble to local citizens,” Mr Tharoor said in a letter. A hartal was held at Neyyatinkara over the issue on Friday.