Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Roads project: pact to be signed today

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The formal signing of the agreement between the government and the Thiruvananthapuram Road Development Company Limited (TRDCL) to resume the City Roads Improvement Project, is scheduled to take place here on Friday evening.

The project has been in a limbo for more than a year following the delay in acquiring the land needed for road development.

The government has agreed to arbitration to settle TRDCL’s claim for compensation to offset the losses caused by the delay.

The consortium is a joint venture between the Consolidated Toll Network Limited (CTNL) and Punj Lloyd, an engineering firm. There are indications that Punj Lloyd may opt for a supervisory role, leaving the construction work to sub contractors.

With the project grinding to a halt in November 2006, the engineering firm had redeployed most of its workforce to other States.

The company was also forced to dismantle its bitumen and concrete mixing plants and shift them elsewhere. While the land housing the company’s yard and employees’ quarters at Chakka was handed over to Air India, another site at Anayara had to be vacated under pressure from the landowner.

Project officials had identified a three-acre plot adjacent to the world market at Anayara for a fresh site but the district administration is yet to release the land.

Project managers said centralised operations, as in the past, would require a massive remobilisation of manpower and machinery.

According to them, Punj Lloyd was more likely to prefer a decentralised approach involving sub contractors who have the resources to carry out the work.

The City Roads Improvement Project involves the development of 12 road corridors measuring 44 km, two flyovers, an underpass, 65 junctions and 94 bus bays. TRDCL has a 15-year maintenance contract for the roads developed under the scheme.

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