As many as 66 infrastructure projects in various sectors at ₹2,953.36 crore have got the approval of the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB).
The KIIFB executive committee, that met on Monday, cleared 54 projects costing ₹1,336.15 crore and the KIIFB Board that met on Tuesday cleared 12 projects costing ₹1,617.21 crore.
With this, the projects approved by KIIFB have gone up to 806, costing ₹59,813.61 crore. Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac, Vice Chairman of KIIFB, told mediapersons that ₹59,813.61 crore included ₹20,000 crore for acquiring land for the National Highway four/six laning, industrial parks, and the Kochi-Bengalaru industrial corridor.
Health and family welfare projects got priority at the KIIFB executive and board meeting. Ten hospitals will together get ₹815.20 crore for improving infrastructure. The projects include renovation of the Konni Medical College Hospital, Kottayam General Hospital, construction of surgical, paediatric, and MLT blocks in Government Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram.
The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation will get funds for procuring 330 CNG buses and funds have been allocated for converting diesel buses into LNG. The KSRTC will sign an MoU with KIIFB. Kerala will be the second State after Delhi to have green transport in the country.
The Public Works Department got ₹1,369.05 crore for various projects. The four-laning of Vazhiyila-Pazhakutty- Kacherinada-11th Stone got ₹279.32 crore, cable stayed bridge across Ponnani estuary ₹280.09 crore, and ₹133.60 crore for the Pettah-Anayara- Oruvathilkotta road.
The integrated urban regeneration and water transport system project in Kochi was granted ₹106.13 crore. Sustainable development proposal for Sabarimala and Edathavalam ₹130.54 crore and development proposals in Sabarimala ₹12.64 crore.
A sum of ₹38.77 crore has been approved for slaughterhouses at Attingal, Punalur, Palakkad, and Kozhikode. As many as 336 schools spread over 24 clusters will get ₹1 crore each. The higher education sector will get ₹59.66 crore.
The LSG Department has been given ₹50.79 crore for constructing new office buildings at Anthoor, Kuthattukulam, and Pattambi municipalities and Kannur Municipal Corporation.
