Decks have been cleared for transferring 7.89 hectares of land for setting up the depot of the monorail, a mass rapid transit system (MRTS) mooted for the capital city, near Technocity at Pallippuram.
The Taluk Land Board, headed by Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) S. Karthikeyan, on Monday dismissed the claim of Company De-Mendez that the land identified for setting up the depot was not surplus as per revenue records and that it belonged to them.
The RDO issued the orders after hearing the group which had approached the High Court against the decision of the government.
“The land is reserved for public purpose,” the RDO said.
‘No’ to alternativeThe option put forward by the group that it was ready to provide alternative land was also rejected.
Official sources told The Hindu that the government could now complete the formalities necessary for handing over the land to Kerala Monorail Corporation Ltd. (KMCL), the special purpose vehicle set up to execute the project.
The government has saved over Rs.200 crore by way of land-acquisition cost for the 7.89 hectares. It is learnt that the alternative land mooted by the group does not have frontage.
The monorail has been proposed for the 41.8-km Pallippuram-Neyyattinkara corridor.
Of this, the first phase is from Technocity to Karamana (22.2 km) and the second from Karamana to Neyyattinkara (19.6 km).
First phaseIn the first phase estimated to cost Rs.3,590 crore, the KMCL needs 13.75 hectares of government land, 0.58 hectares of Railway land, and 2.82 hectares of private land.
Pallippuram had been selected as the starting point and depot, taking into account future needs such as the Technocity and rapid urbanisation.
The sources said another two hectares was needed to rehabilitate those staying in the adjacent Sreepadam colony.
The monorail has been listed under the Navaratna scheme of the Public Works Department’s Mission 676. The major hurdle to commissioning the first reach from Pallipuram to Kazhakuttam by March 2016 had been overcome, the sources said.
