THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government has accorded an administrative sanction of Rs 200 crore for the development of the Vazhimukku-Kaliyikkavila stretch as part of the second phase of the Karamana-Kaliyikkavila road development project.
The fund will be granted by the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) and the money will be used for the land acquisition. A government order in this regard was issued on Saturday.
In a statement, Public Works Minister P A Mohamed Riyas said the development work on the Karamana-Kaliyikkavila road up to Kodinada has already been completed. It was said in the last assembly session that necessary steps will be taken to complete the rest of the work. The land acquisition process for widening 30.2m from Kodinada to Vazhimukku is in its final stage.
The government is moving forward to make the Karamana-Kaliyikkavila road development a reality. The activities, including land acquisition, will be precisely outlined. It will be ensured that the activities are done in a time-bound manner, the statement said.
Meanwhile, the development of the congested Balaramapuram junction, as part of the four-lane Karamana-Kaliyikkavila road project, has reached a stalemate as traders in the area and members of the road development action council are at loggerheads over constructing the proposed underpass in the busy area. However, the district administration has given an ultimatum to the land acquisition department to ensure that the acquisition proceedings are finished in two months.
The CPM-led panchayat passed a resolution in April against the state government’s proposal to build an underpass at Balaramapuram junction to avoid traffic congestion.
The traders’ associations and the action council recently conducted separate protests at Balaramapuram, opposing and supporting the project, respectively. Both parties sought immediate intervention from the government to resolve the matter.
The widening of the 1.5km stretch from Kodinada to Vazhimukku has hit a roadblock. The underpass has been proposed from Kodinada to Chaliyar Street on the main road, an area that has seen significant work done as part of the Karamana-Kaliyikkavila road development project.