The 25-km-long Aluva-Pettah Kochi metro rail route might have to be terminated at Maharaja’s College Ground on M.G. Road unless the State government hands over Rs. 320 crore for widening two critical stretches.
Widening the Jos Junction-Ernakulam Junction railway station-Manorama Junction stretch needs Rs. 120 crore while widening the Vyttila-Pettah road into four lane needs Rs. 200 crore. Though State government had promised Rs. 70 crore over a year ago to widen the Vyttila-Pettah road, money has not been handed over to the district administration, sources said.
Land owned by a jeweller in Edappally and by a textile showroom on the northern end of M.G. Road too have not been acquired, following opposition from the owners. “The land at Edappally is likely to be handed over for building the metro station and allied parking within a week. The textile owner who was opposing land acquisition tooth and nail might in all probability hand over 32 cents worth Rs. 15 crore free of cost if customers are permitted restricted parking beneath the metro viaduct that would pass over the property,” sources said.
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Similarly, portions of the textile showroom building and an adjacent jewellery shop can be saved from demolition if some relaxation is given on distance from the viaduct. This is at the proposal stage and will save another Rs. 18.30 crore. But the combined saving of Rs. 33.30 crore pales in comparison to the Rs. 320 crore needed urgently to widen two crucial corridors beyond Jos Junction.
Small pockets of land in possession of individuals, many of them encroachers, are yet to be taken on the Palarivattom-Jos Junction stretch, for widening bottlenecked areas.
The Railway has, in the meantime, agreed to hand over land on lease for constructing metro viaducts over Ernakulam Junction railway station once the agency is paid Rs. 24 crore.
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