Peeved at the prolonged delay in Thammanam-Pulleppady road widening, the Left Democratic Front on Monday formed a human chain along the stretch.
A charge sheet issued by the protesters against the apathy of the authority including the City Corporation, said that the widening of the road that connects the MG Road and National Highway to 22 meters will help ease traffic congestion in the city. Widening Thammanam-Pullepady Road is critical to de-congest Banerjee Road and SA Road that are choked due to the steep increase in the number of vehicles.
About 46 percent of land for the project was acquired in the 90s based on a Detailed Town Planning Scheme prepared by the then LDF-led corporation council. However, the present council put the scheme on the back burner and no further initiative was taken, it said.
It further pointed out that the State government had failed to make any budgetary allocations for the project in the fiscal 2014-2015.
Led by CPI (M) district secretary P. Rajeev and former MP Sebastian Paul, hundreds of people including those living on both sides of the stretch joined the protest.
Kochi Corporation has drawn much flak for not widening the road despite people surrendering their land for free two decades ago. Following public outcry, Corporation’s Council passed a resolution early in 2014 and handed over the road to PWD, which is yet to begin the widening process.
According to local residents, the land taken for the project - from the Stadium Link Road to Kathrukadavu junction – has been remaining idle since it was acquired years ago.
The 2.8-km road links Thammanam to the Pullepady bridge and the 350-metre stretch is being acquired in full so as to connect it to MG Road. Similarly, the eastern side will also be linked with the Palarivattom-Vytilla NH by-pass.
Officials claim that only 94 owners have agreed to surrender their land while another 222 plots remain to be acquired for initiating the project. Nearly 20 acres will have to be acquired for road widening and rehabilitation, of which 10 acres will be used for widening activities, they said.
The expansion of the stretch into four-lane is estimated to cost Rs. 300 crore and into two lane will cost around Rs.75 crore.
