The development work of the Koyilandy Fishing Harbour, which started in 2007, is still moving at a snail’s pace without completing many of the undertaken works including the construction of auction hall, canteen, access road and the compound wall with gates.
Tendering process
Though officials attached to the Fisheries Department claim that the work will be over by 2016 and the harbour will be opened for the local fishermen, tendering process for the pending works is yet to begin.
Main hurdle
Koyilandy MLA K. Dasan, who recently raised the issue through a submission in the Assembly, said the reclamation of required land in the harbour area for auction hall and canteen was continuing as the main hurdle for the completion of the project. The first tendering attempt was a failure and the second attempt would be made shortly, he said.
Impractical
According to Mr. Dasan, the land reclamation attempt using soil mined from the area was proving to be impractical with the opposition from the local fishermen.
“However, we have almost settled the issue with the decision to bringing the required quantity of soil from the Puthiyappa harbour premises,” he said.
With the delay in completion, the estimate of the project was revised several times during the last eight years. When the project was launched, the cost was estimated at Rs.34 crore.
Now, as per the revised estimate, the total cost would come around Rs.62 crore.
The project is partly funded by the Central government.
Share reduced
Recently, the Centre decided to reduce its share from 50 per cent to 40 per cent, affecting the fast completion of the project. It was in 2005 that then Minister of Fisheries Dominic Presentation made the formal declaration that Koyilandy harbour would be developed as one of the biggest fishing harbours in the State.
To benefit 50,000
The project was approved by the Union government as it was then expected to benefit around 50,000 fishermen from the region.
The partly Central government funded project cost rises to Rs.62 crore from Rs.34 crore, estimated in 2007, when the work was launched
