First Published : 20 Sep 2010
THIRUVANATHAPURAM: Forget all deadlines. There will be an indefinite delay in implementing the City Road Improvement Project (CRIP). Ironically, the one who is accusing the implementing agency and officials for the delay is the main culprit. The buck stops at the State Government, which is yet to clear the major and most important hurdle - land acquisition.
The road works are progressing at major corridors without having a clarity regarding the works in areas where the Government is yet to acquire land. With elections to the Local Self-Government bodies at the doorstep and Assembly elections in the offing, chances are high that the Government would be compromising further on land acquisition. It would rather play safe for votes.
October end was highlighted as the deadline of Phase II of CRIP. As per the current status, the works will be delayed indefinitely. Umpteen factors - politics, money and even religion - play a role in pressurising the Government to abstain from land acquisition.
The widening works of MG Road will be delayed as there has been no consensus on acquisitions at two stretches. The Travancore Devaswom Board has not heeded so far to the request of the Government to hand over land. A group of traders has raised protest against acquiring land at the Pazhavangadi - East Fort stretch. These disputes regarding the work on the Corridor II (MG Road - LMS to Attakkulangara) have been continuing for the past six years.
As per the contract, the Government should have cleared the land for Phase III works by now.
But private players alone are not responsible for delaying the works. The Government even failed to take the initiative in removing the roadblocks caused by the area belonging to Cantonment police station and the adjacent Secretariat Association building. A comfort station at Ottukuzhy junction, belonging to the Corporation, that needs to be razed down, too remains untouched. This road, under corridor VII (Vanross Junction - Secretariat Main - West - Gate), was originally planned to be completed under Phase II. Without clearing the land acquisition, the implementing agency, Thiruvananthapuram Road Development Company Limited (TRDCL), could not take up the initial drain works.
At Corridor III (Museum - Bakery Jn - Thampanoor - Overbridge), the Model School- Thampanoor stretch has a lot of issues remaining to be sorted out. Apart from land acquisition problems, utility shifting of JICA-assisted water works and KSEB are all obstructing the road works. The Government and the Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB) have been groping in the dark for the past several years.
Even the shifting of small Milma booths has become a major hurdle. It is bizarre that Milma booths at Kowdiar and Sasthamangalam junction are major stumbling blocks when it comes to road works in the area. The facilitator for road works, KRFB, was supposed to clear the shifting much before the road works.
Shifting of KWA pipelines and land acquisition by some private parties are the cause of delay at Corridor X (Kowdiar - Peroorkada - Vazhayila). Utility shifting still troubles the Pattom - Marappalam stretch.
Drain at Kowdiar and culvert at Sasthamangalam are some other issues over which the TRDCL is facing public wrath. The Government, which is responsible for giving the go-ahead for works, remains mum on the issue.
Apart from land acquisition, as many as 48 unresolved issues, majority of them regarding utility shifting, have been troubling the TRDCL. As the company is operating under BOT scheme, it has the responsibility of maintaining the road for 15 years after the completion of the works.
After clearing land acquisition and related hurdles, the TRDCL is left with only 18 months for completing the works. So, the current deadline is applicable only to the Government to clear all hurdles.
jisha@expressbuzz.com
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