Isaac fuels hope for ring road plan

Thiruvananthapuram: The state budget, presented by finance minister T M Thomas Isaac, has fuelled hopes for the project on outer area growth corridor from Vizhinjam to Parippally.
The minister, in his budget speech, said that work of the Outer Ring Road and outer area growth corridor will start in 2019-20. With both state and central governments giving approval for the project, development of rural areas of the district has gained momentum.

“The outer ring road will utilize the possibilities of Vizhinjam seaport and the outer area growth corridor will be a chain of industrial areas, knowledge hubs and new townships,” the minister said during the budget presentation on Thursday.

Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS), which prepares the detailed project report of the outer ring road, has completed report on a 55km-stretch from Vizhinjam to Mangalapuram and is working on the stretch from Vencode to Parippally. Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has completed the environment impact assessment for the project.

The project got a boost when the Union ministry of road transport and highways (MORTH) gave approval to fund the project under Bharatmala scheme two months ago. MORTH will fund construction works and will bear 50% expense for land acquisition. Ahead of budget on Wednesday, state cabinet too gave in-principal approval for the project.

The stretch, total length of which is 70km, will be widened as a four-lane road initially. Later, it will be made a six-lane road. A township will be developed on the lines of special economic zones (SEZ), with a proper master plan.

Around 435 hectares will be required for the project, which has a total estimate of Rs 2,578 crore. The cost of construction alone is estimated to to be around Rs 1,999 crore. Sources close to the project said that MORTH will start construction only after 90% of the required land is acquired. The Capital Region Development Programme (CRDP), which is heading the project, has mooted land bond and land pooling options for land acquisition.

The project plans to develop the area as a massive township. A global tender will be invited for developers. CRDP has also proposed a special legislation for the township. A draft legislation has been submitted to law and industries departments.

Paripally-Vencode stretch, which was initially planned to be included in the second phase of the project, was later included in first phase. The road will bifurcate at Vencode, leading to Parippally and Mangalapuram respectively. The project runs through 16 panchayats, 10 assembly constituencies and two Lok Sabha constituencies.