The preliminary works of the monorail project for Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode cities are expected to commence by November 1, Minister for Public Works V.K. Ebrahim Kunju has announced.
The international bidding to select a turnkey contractor for the project would close by May 31 and the other formalities would be completed by October, he told reporters here on Monday. The project will be taken up as a priority scheme under the Pubic Works Department’s Mission 676 and the first reach of the monorail network in the two cities would be completed by March 31, 2016.
Pointing out that the land acquisition for the monorail project had reached nowhere, the mission document has called on the government to sanction negotiated purchase by the Kerala Monorail Corporation Ltd on the lines of the permission given to Kochi Metro.
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It warns that the project could falter if the State government failed to provide its share of funds in time. The Union government was yet to clear the project and commit financial assistance. The Kerala government also has to submit a comprehensive mobility plan for the two cities to the Ministry of Urban Development.
Designed to relieve the traffic congestion in the two cities, the Rs.6,000-crore project would be taken up under the Navaratna scheme included in Mission 676, Mr.Kunju said. Extending from Pallipuram to Karamana, phase 1 of the Thiruvananthapuram monorail is expected to cost Rs.3590 crore and will have 19 stations across a distance of 22.2 km. Covering14.2 km from Medical College to Meenchanda, the Kozhikode monorail will have 15 stations and is estimated to cost Rs.1,991 crore.
The government is planning to take up the development of the Medical College- Mananchira reach in Kozhikode and Pallipuram- Kazhakoottam reach in Thiruvananthapuram in the first phase of the monorail project.
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The State and Union governments each will foot 20 per cent of the project cost, with the remaining amount to be mobilised through banks.