Legal hurdles hit development of Vellayambalam-Thycaud road

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: While major roads in the city are set to get a makeover with the Centre announcing to develop them as per global standards under the Smart City Mission, the development of the Vellayambalam-Thycaud road, the main stretch in the heart of the capital, may prove challenging. For 20 per cent of the required land is yet to be acquired owing to legal complications in connection with the rehabilitation of some traders.  

The widening and beautification of this 2.5-km stretch have been a long-standing demand of people and the government had tasked the Trivandrum Development Authority (TRIDA) with acquiring the land required for widening the road, installing streetlights and constructing a median. The plan was to widen the Sri Moolam Club-Xanadu junction and Amman Kovil junction-Thycaud Hospital stretch. The road was to be constructed as per the norms of the Indian Roads Congress. Though land was acquired in certain places, widening works have not begun. 

“The work is slow. During peak hours, a bottleneck is created at the junction while at night, there is completed darkness on the stretch from Thycaud to Vellayambalam due to the absence of streetlights. The authorities should at least erect a high-mast light at Sri Moolam Club junction and Althara for now,” said P K Mathew, a Vazhuthacaud resident. 

The project was conceptualised in 1997. Land acquisition orders were issued in 2005, but it began only in 2012. Though traders along the stretch were compensated for the land, TRIDA failed to rehabilitate some of them. Subsequent opposition from a few traders at Vazhuthacaud and Thycaud hampered the acquisition. “The sheer apathy shown by TRIDA in properly rehabilitating traders hampered the works,” alleged Thiruvananthapuram MLA V S Sivakumar.

“I had raised the matter in the assembly several times and even filed a memorandum before the Public Works minister. Since TRIDA is managing the land acquisition, it is deliberately delaying it. It is yet to rehabilitate five traders even after five years due to which land acquisition has not been completed. TRIDA and the government have failed to develop the stretch,” said Sivakumar.  

TRIDA had sought 10 cents of land in the Thycaud guesthouse compound to rehabilitate traders in association with the Tourism Department. However, it didn’t materialise due to difference of opinion among government officials.TRIDA chairman C Jayan Babu said there is still a dispute with five traders who moved court against the land acquisition. 

“We have acquired the land and handed it over to PWD. So, PWD can start widening the roads except the areas still in dispute. The issue is rehabilitating traders to an appropriate place. Though TRIDA tried relocating them on the guesthouse land, it did not take off. The traders have demanded fair value compensation. We can give that only to landowners, not to traders who took the space on rent,” he said. 

A PWD engineer told TNIE that TRIDA has handed over only 80 per cent of land and they cannot start the work until land acquisition of the entire stretch is completed.