“Substantial progress” has been noted in the World Bank (WB)-aided Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP) Phase II works by the World Bank Mission that reviewed the same on seven corridors being developed across the State.
An overall progress of 69% in civil works has been noted by the mission headed by task team leader Arnab Bandyopadhyay after the seven-day review of the works that began on October 30, WB sources told The Hindu on Monday.
The mission, comprising experts in highway engineering, social safeguard, environment, road safety, bridge and other areas, also noted “improvement” on financial disbursement.
The KSTP phase II project aims at upgrading 367 km of State highways at a cost of ₹2,403 crore. Works are on the Kasaragod-Kanhangad (27.78 km), Pilathara-Pappinissery (20.90 km), Thalassery-Valavupara (54 km), Chengannur-Ettumanur (47 km), 2.3 km Thiruvalla bypass, Ettumanur-Muvattupuzha (40.9 km), and the Ponkunnam-Thodupuzha (50.09 km) corridors.
The 82.13-km Punalur-Ponkunnam road has failed to take off and the Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC) mode is being considered, the sources said. The move comes as the private-public partnership on design, build, finance, operate, maintain, and transfer mode under the hybrid annuity basis did not succeed.
The Perumpilavu- Pattambi- Perinthalmanna (41km) stretch was dropped as land acquisition could not be completed by the State.
But, the WB Mission is not happy with the pace of the $22-million road safety component and the $8-million institutional component.
The WB mission expects the civil works on all corridors except the Thalassery-Valavupara stretch to be completed by May/June 2018.
The 54-km stretch from Thalassery to Valavupara is progressing and may be completed by December 2018, the sources said.
Report soon
The WB mission also interacted with Chief Secretary K.M. Abraham, Principal Secretary, Public Works, Kamalavardhana Rao, Secretaries of Finance, Transport, and project director Ajith Patel.
The WB mission report is to be submitted to the government soon.
The observations have come as a relief for the State as the last mission has noted “slow progress” in the works.
The State went into a fire-fighting mode after the WB hinted at pull out or partial cancellation of the loan extended in the wake of delays and missed deadlines.
