Armed with a Detailed Project Report (DPR), the civic authorities of Kochi will approach the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) for additional funds for land acquisition for the Thammanam-Pullepady road project.
The DPR was approved at a meeting held in the chamber of the Kochi Mayor the other day.
The DPR was a prerequisite for getting financial assistance from KIIFB. There were several hurdles before the preparation of the key document, including the handing over of the existing road to the Public Works Department (PWD). The resolution passed by the Kochi Corporation Council handing over land to the PWD earlier was not sufficient, and a notification had to be issued for the purpose, said Mayor M. Anilkumar.
The handing over of the land to the PWD is in the final stages. Since the road is an asset of the corporation, it can be formally transferred to the agency only through an official notification. The draft notification has been prepared, and the final notification will be out shortly, he said.
A DPR was also required for obtaining financial sanction for utilising the ₹100 crore allocated by KIIFB for the project. The DPR is expected to speed up the project, the Mayor added.
The civic authorities had been pursuing the project that connects Thammanam with M.G. Road for long. However, paucity of funds and delay in acquiring land had hit the project.
It is estimated that around ₹250 crore will be required for land acquisition. Besides, the 2.19 hectares acquired for the project, 3.67 hectares have to be acquired. A significant extent of land was obtained as free surrender. The corporation had purchased 54.79 ares using the ₹25 crore allocated by the government, Mr. Anilkumar said.
The project cost has been revised to ₹320 crore considering the market value of the land to be acquired. The proposal for two flyovers along the stretch has been kept in abeyance. It could be taken up at an appropriate time after due consultations, he said.
