KOCHI: Despite the issue of providing land for the rail overbridge(ROB) at Vathuruthy figuring in several government meetings, the Cochin Port Trust(CPT) is yet to receive any formal communication in this regard, it has emerged. On receiving a formal request from the government seeking land for Vathuruthy ROB, it will be processed as per the Centre's Land Policy Guidelines, 2014. According to the Tripartite Agreement inked on April 19, 1982 by the then Joint Secretary, Ministry of Shipping, the CPT chairman and Special Representative of Government of Kerala, the state government waived its claim over the reclaimed land at Vallarpadam and south of Willington Island and any accretions occurring within the port limits.
Under the agreement, the state government will not stake claim to the ownership of any land which may be reclaimed by the Port Trust. In lieu of this, the Centre and the CPT gave up the claim on the 59 acres of land reclaimed for Foreshore Reclamation Scheme by the Greater Cochin Development Authority(GCDA) along the Shanmugham Road and about 3.30 acres of land accreted to the west of Vypeen.
In the light of this agreement, the CPT had claimed Ramanthuruthu Island in Mulavukad Village as it will be needed for ICTT, Vallarpadam's future expansion. Following this, the Government of Kerala handed over 29.69 acres of land out of the 43.60 acres in Ramanthuruthu, but could not hand over the remaining 13.91 acres which had earlier been leased out to Aspinwall & Company Ltd. Though the government cancelled the lease, Aspinwall challenged it before the court and due to this litigation, the Kerala Government has not transferred the land to the CPT.
Long wait for Railway over bridge
Though the Kerala Government had handed over 29.69 acres of land at Ramanthuruthu to the Cochin Port Trust, it could not hand over the remaining 13.91 acres which had earlier been leased out to Aspinwall & Company Ltd. This has delayed the construction of the rail overbridge(ROB) at Vathuruthy