After a long wait, things appear to be finally moving on the ground with regard to the ₹823-crore Vattiyurkavu junction development project in the State capital, a four-decade-long demand of the local population. Even as the demolition of buildings in the acquired land of the first reach from Sasthamangalam to Mannarakkonam for a distance of 3.85 km has begun, the Detailed Project Report of ₹94 crore for road construction for this stretch is with the Finance department for final approval.
Being one of the key issues in the region, the progress of the work is being keenly watched in the run-up to the local body elections this year and the Assembly elections next year. The project has been divided into three sections, with the second reach from Mannarakkonam to Peroorkada for a distance of 3.25 km and the third reach from Mannarakkonam to Vazhayila for a distance of 3.8 km. The Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) has demanded a change in nomenclature of the project to reflect the road development part too.
“The demolition of structures on land taken over through the acquisition process is expected to be completed in about 70 days. Once the Finance department approves the DPR, tender can be floated. The process of handing over compensation for the land acquired in the first and second reaches has been completed. Some landowners who had challenged the acquisition legally have now withdrawn the cases. With ₹385-crore funding for land acquisition and rehabilitation from KIIFB in the first phase, considerable compensation of up to ₹40 lakh for each cent has been provided to the landowners. By next year, it is hoped that the work of at least two reaches will be completed,” Vattiyurkavu MLA V.K. Prasanth told The Hindu.
However, not everyone is satisfied with the way the project is shaping up. Criticising the delay in implementation, Nettayam ward councillor Nanda Bhargav of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said that the people’s representatives from the Opposition parties have not been consulted at any stage of the process.
“Though the owners were evicted from many of the shops a few months ago after acquisition, the work on the rehabilitation block is yet to begin. The Government LP School at Mannarakonam Junction is supposed to be shifted to the block office, but there has been no update on this for a long time. Also, the width of the proposed road is only 18.5, which is insufficient considering the growth in vehicular traffic in recent years. The project has now become more of an election stunt,” says Mr. Bhargav.
Published - January 18, 2025 07:08 pm IST
