THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The preliminary proceedings of the Vazhayila-Nedumangad road development are in fast progress. The first phase of the survey, including the demarcation of the land, has been completed, and the second phase is under way. The revenue department has issued an 11(1) notification under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation, and Resettlement Act, 2013. The widening of the road at Vazhayila near Peroorkada and Pazhakutty near Nedumangad has been a long-pending demand as the stretch is part of the Thiruvananthapuram-Tenkasi interstate highway.
Food and Civil Supplies Minister G R Anil, who took the interest in the project, told TNIE that the tender for the bridge at Karakulam would be called in April, and the construction is expected to start by the last quarter of 2023.
“The land acquisition proceedings are in full swing. All disputes with the landowners were settled. We need to fix the fair value of the land, and the first major work is the construction of the bridge at Karakulam. The government will call for tenders for it in April. We will only proceed with the widening works after completing the construction of the bridge. Since there are a few formalities in the acquisition proceedings, the widening work can only be started at the end of 2023,” he said.
Jacob Sanjay John, Deputy Collector ( Land Acquisition), said a public hearing also involving the landowners would be held in January. “The survey proceedings are on, and an 11(1) notification has been issued. As part of it, we are calling a public hearing next month. We will discuss the rehabilitation and resettlement package with the landowners. We expect to issue the declaration of the work in February. The scrutiny of the documents submitted by the landowners will take place in March. So we can complete all proceedings and hand over the land to Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB) by August. After that, KRFB can go to tender for the entire stretch development,” he said.
Earlier, a six-member committee constituted to draw up a new alignment submitted its report based on the social impact assessment (SIA) study to the state government, which gave its approval. The land will be acquired based on the LARR rules of 2013, and the notification will be issued soon, a source in the revenue department said. As per the report, the committee had earlier made it clear that there was no scope for a new alignment as the existing one was finalised based on the specifications of the Indian Road Congress. The committee also put forth several suggestions and recommendations to ensure limited displacement of people during land acquisition. The report stated that land parcels owned by schools, temples, churches and mosques need to be acquired for the existing alignment, and 874 buildings, both commercial and residential, may be affected.
The committee had also held discussions with landowners to allay their apprehensions over land acquisition. As per the initial report of the committee, the suggestion of landowners was to acquire more land from the plot owned by the Kerala Water Authority on one side of the stretch in Karakulam panchayat to avoid land acquisition in the densely populated region on the other side. The committee members, including the Karakulam panchayat vice-president, could allay the fears of landowners by making minor changes to the original alignment. The committee was constituted by the state government in October last year. The widening of the 11.8-km stretch from Vazhayila to Pazhakutty near Nedumangad is likely to bring down travel time and traffic congestion. KIIFB is the funding agency, and KRFB is the implementing agency. The government has sanctioned Rs 338.53 crore for the project.