Historian M.G.S. Narayanan has urged Chief Minister Oommen Chandy to take steps to release the funds promised for acquiring land for widening the Mananchira- Vellimadukunnu road in the city.
In a letter addressed to the Chief Minister, Mr. Narayanan, who is also the president of the Mananchira-Vellimadukunnu Action Committee, said the Revenue Department had not received either the promised amount of Rs.100 crore or the funds that would be sanctioned in a phased manner for acquisition of land required for the project. No amount had been obtained till now except the first tranche of Rs. 25 crore.
He said the project would remain on paper if the land acquisition was not completed before June 26 when the notification under Section 4(1) of the Land Acquisition Act would expire.
As of now, all the procedures in connection with the project had come to a standstill due to paucity of funds, Mr. Narayanan said.
The Chief Minister had shown a personal interest in reviving the project that had been in cold storage for a several years.
If no funds are sanctioned, the project would be shelved, he said.
At present, the Revenue Department has begun the process of land acquisition following the transfer of Rs.25 crore for the project by the State government. The first instalment is being utilised to acquire land at Malaparamba junction, reportedly the narrowest stretch on the 8.4-km Mananchira-Vellimadukunnu stretch of National Highway 212.
Meanwhile District Collector N. Prasanth has already clarified that even if the deadline for acquisition of land expired, the State government could easily notify a fresh one within a month.
Besides, the entire project for widening the road is under annuity-based scheme.
An amount of Rs. 341 crore is necessary to acquire land for widening the road. The amount has been worked out by the District-Level Purchase Committee and the State-level empowered committee has endorsed these recommendations.
- Land acquisition has to be completed before June 26
Rs.341 crore needed for land acquisition
