With the State government struggling to maintain fiscal consolidation through higher mobilisation of own tax revenue, big ticket projects such as the Light Metro proposed for Kozhikode city may be put on the back burner in the State Budget.
Like in the previous year, the State Budget to be presented by Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac on Friday is likely to exclude the ₹2,500-crore project. The Finance Department has not yet arrived at a decision to secure the mandatory clearance from the Public Investment Board of the Centre.
The nine-year-old project has been hanging fire ever since a Detailed Project Report (DPR) was submitted by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) as per the new metro policy in December 2017. Kerala Rapid Transit Corporation Limited, a special purpose vehicle set by the government, has not taken a decision on appointing a consultant.
A year ago, it was reported that an additional burden of ₹275 crore had been estimated in the revised DPR for the project. Incidentally, the DMRC closed its office in Kozhikode three years ago. Later, it also quit from the project in the State as well.
The Light Metro was proposed in 2015 replacing the Kozhikode Monorail in 2012. The original proposal was to link Calicut International Airport to the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital.
Light Metro for Kozhikode proposes a fully elevated track covering a distance of 13.33 km from Meenchanda to Kozhikode Medical College. It will have 14 stations at Medical College, Chevayur, Thondayad, Kottooli, New Bus Stand, KSRTC station, Mananchira, Palayam, Railway Station, Pushpa Junction, Kallayi, Panniyankara, Vattakinar, and Meenchanda.
Already, a survey has been carried out for the construction of metro stations. The land required for the project is 10.05 hectares which include 1.5 hectares in private possession.
So, only a rail overbridge has been constructed at a cost of ₹40 crore in connection with the Kozhikode Light Metro project.