The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Land acquisition for road project picking up

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Saturday, Dec 22, 2007
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Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Land acquisition for road project picking up

Special Correspondent

Pact with consortium likely to be signed by month-end

— Photo: S. Mahinsha

New lease of life: Part of the land that has been acquired for widening the Vellayambalam- Sasthamangalam road in the city.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Land acquisition for the City Roads Improvement Project has reached the final stage, ahead of the renewal of the agreement between the government and the private consortium executing the project. Official sources said the pact with Thiruvananthapuram Road Development Company Limited was likely to be signed by the end of the month, signalling resumption of a project that has been bogged down for more than a year.

The Thiruvananthapuram Development Authority has expedited acquisition proceedings for development of the 14 road corridors. Trida chairman C. Ajaykumar said 85 per cent of the land required for the project had been acquired and handed over to the Public Works Department by the end of November. “We hope to achieve more than 90 per cent by December. But for a few cases that remain to be wrapped up, the acquisition is progressing at a fast pace,” he said.

Relocating cemeteries

The delay in relocating the cemeteries of two churches in Pattoor is a major obstacle facing the development of the Palayam- Airport corridor, the first stretch to be taken up under the road development project.

It was in 1999 that the Local Administration Department decided to provide alternative land to St. Thomas Mar Thoma Church and the Latin Church in Pattoor to relocate their cemeteries bordering the road. The government subsequently issued an order directing the Health Department to transfer 36 cents from its property on the western side of the road, in lieu of the acquired land. The widening of the road corridor was finalised on the basis of this proposal.

The survey for the land was completed in late 2004. “But for the last three years, there has been no significant progress,” says John Cherian, retired chief engineer, who participated in the meeting with the government on behalf of the Mar Thoma Church.

“The delay in relocating the cemeteries has virtually cried halt to the road development works on the airport corridor. Since the cemeteries are located at a sharp curve, the rest of the road cannot be taken up for widening,” says a project official.

Land exchange deal

The project faces another major hurdle in Sanghumukham where the realignment of the main road fronting the beach necessitates an exchange deal between the Southern Air Command (SAC) and the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB). The proposal is part of the beach beautification project under which the existing road will be moved back from the beach to the perimeter of the airport, leaving a wide swathe open for the creation of a leisure and recreation zone on 26 acres of land. Mr. Ajaykumar said the exchange deal had been worked out and was awaiting final clearance.

Meanwhile, in a bid to put the project back on track, the government has agreed to arbitration to settle TRDCL’s claim for compensation to offset the losses caused by the delay in handing over the land. The consortium is a joint venture between the Consolidated Toll Network Limited (CTNL) and the engineering firm Punj Lloyd.

Remobilisation

Project managers said the work would require at least three months to pick up after the schedule was worked out. A large number of the labourers employed by the executing company, Punj Lloyd, were redeployed to other States, along with the machines. “Remobilising the workers would take some time,” said an official.

One of the major challenges before the government is to identify land for the company to set up its stock yards and mixing plants. While the land housing the company’s yards and employees’ quarters in Chakka has been handed over to Air India for the construction of an aircraft maintenance hangar, another site at Anayara is being vacated under pressure from the landowner.

Project managers feel that the delay in shifting utility lines like power cables, electric posts, street lights, transformers and water supply and sewer pipes would pose another problem for the resumption of work. “In the past, we have faced inordinate delay in shifting utility lines,” says an official.

Of the 44 kms. of roads identified for the project, only 14.66 kms. were handed over to TRDCL by the end of the two-year schedule which ended in November 2006. Work on six of the 12 road corridors had not begun while on several other stretches, widening had to be taken up in bits and pieces.

The project also involves the development of two flyovers, an underpass, 65 junctions and 94 bus bays. TRDCL has a 15-year maintenance contract for the roads under the scheme. The government is committed to repaying the funding agencies under a 15-year annuity scheme.

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