THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Finally, the much-delayed second phase development of the Karamana-Kaliyikkavila highway project has got a lease of life with the government approving the tender price of the selected contractor, Uralungal Labour Contract Co-operative Society Ltd (ULCCS). Sources said the construction work would begin within two weeks, with the Public Works Department (PWD) officially giving work order to the contractor. The tender was awarded to ULCCS recently as they quoted the lowest price in the bidding process.
According to a senior PWD officer, a committee has approved the bid of ULCCS and the government has to issue an order for signing a final agreement between the Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB) and the contractor before the construction work begins.
“We hope to start the construction work in a couple of weeks as an agreement has to be signed. We are entrusted with executing the project. Once the agreement is signed, we will issue a work order to the contractor,” said an officer.
The tender was opened last month and the companies that took part in the bidding process are ULCCS, EKK Infrastructure Ltd, and Sree Dhanya Constructions which had participated in the earlier tender process too.
KRFB is entrusted with overseeing the tender process. The tender process for the 5.6-km stretch between Pravachambalam and Kodinada near Balaramapuram was delayed for several months. The cost for the second phase is estimated at Rs 111.5 crore. The 5.6-km stretch between Pravachambalam and Kodinada at Balaramapuram is the major part of the second phase of the Karamana-Kaliyikkavila stretch. Earlier, a sum of Rs 266.67 crore was handed over to the Revenue Department for land acquisition in the Pravachambalam-Balaramapuram stretch.
Of this, Rs 122.46 crore was also disbursed to landowners. Rehabilitation of around 22 families at the Old Rajapatha area near Pravachambalam had remained a major hurdle for several months. The issue was settled later with the intervention of the district administration. The government also had to re-tender the bidding process as there was only a single bid submitted early in May. Later, the government floated a tender again, and two companies, one of which was Sree Dhanya Constructions, participated.
Meanwhile, land acquisition from Kodinada to Vazhimukku is moving at a snail’s pace. Sources said the land acquisition process hit a roadblock after some traders raised objections and demanded a hike in compensation.