State gives nod for improving six roads

The Uralungal society has been awarded the contract of the project

The State government has accorded administrative sanction for modernising six roads under the Kozhikode City Road Improvement Project.

The Vadakara-based Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society (ULCCS) has been awarded the contract of the project, aimed at improving urban transportation.

The administrative sanction is to provide Rs.176 crore for renovating 22.25 km of roads in the city, officials said.

The government had approved the tenders of the ULCCS five months ago. But the procedures of the Finance Department delayed the government sanction.

With the grant of administrative sanction, the renovation of the roads is slated to begin in August. The duration allowed for its completion is two years, District Collector N. Prasanth said.

The six roads that will be developed and the sanctioned amount for each are: Stadium-Puthiyara (0.644 km), Rs.8.47 crore; Kovoor-Vellimadukunnu Road (2.735 km), Rs.23.83 crore; Karaparamba- Eranhipalam and Arayadathupalam- Kalluthankadavu Road (4.526 km), Rs.26.31; Gandhi Road-Mini Bypass and Kuniyilkavu-Mavoor Road Junction (3.435 km), Rs.30.46 crore; and Panathuthazham-CWRDM road (8.45 km), Rs.18.60 crore.

The renovation of the roads had not taken place for quite some time even though the land required for the purpose was acquired two years ago.

Tenders

The Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB) had decided to entrust the work to the ULCCS. The board had notified the tenders for the project, in which at least four firms had evinced interest. It took several months to complete the tender procedures.

The KRFB had appointed the SREI Infrastructure Finance Limited as the transaction advisor for the development of the project.

As part of the contract, ULCCS will have to complete the project using its own funds.

The construction will be on a Build-Operate-and-Transfer annuity basis. The road will be handed over to the government after that. No toll will be charged from the vehicles.

The government will repay an amount of Rs.23.11 crore to the ULCCS every six months. This will continue for 15 years.

The maintenance of the roads will also be done by the contractor.

Steps have been taken to shift the utility cables of various departments on the roads, and directives have been issued to officials for completing the work in three months, the Collector said. The underground drainage, being constructed by the Kerala Sustainable Urban Development Project, is also going apace.

Meanwhile, two roads, Mananchira-Vellimadukunnu and Mananchira-Meenchanda, will be developed separately.