THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Despite the state government’s assertions of realising the capital’s much-touted Outer Ring Road (ORR) proposal quickly, the project remains stuck in red tape. TNIE has learnt that the government is yet to approve the Detailed Project Report (DPR) submitted six months ago by a committee of the Capital Region Development Programme (CRDP), the implementing agency for the project.
Once implemented, the ORR is expected to be a game-changer for the development of the city. On Monday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan informed the assembly that the state government has begun proceedings to implement the project. However, sources said an inordinate delay in launching the initial proceedings has led to the situation where it appears the government is giving the project low priority. Even six months after CRDP submitted the DPR to the Local-Self Government and Public Works departments, CRDP officials are in the dark about the status of the file.
“The project is still at a nascent stage. The government needs to give the approval for the file concerned. Only then can we start the preliminary proceedings including land acquisition. Also, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Social Impact Assessment (SIA) have not been completed,” said an officer related to the project.
The `4,868-crore project had received in-principle approval from the Centre last year.
Though touted as one of the major infrastructure projects in the state, it did not receive any allocation in the state budget. While the Union government has provided 50 per cent of the funding for the project, the state has to arrange the remaining. Planned to be implemented in two phases under a public-private partnership (PPP) model, the project involves the construction of a road interconnecting NH 66, state highways and the MC Road.Beginning from Parippally in the north, ORR will extend to Andoorkonam, Vattappara, Aruvikkara, Ooruttambalam, Balaramapuram and the NH 66 bypass at Vizhinjam in the southern part of the district.