THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The decision on the cost sharing of the much-delayed Outer Ring Road (ORR) project in the capital is likely to be taken by early January once the ongoing statewide Nava Kerala Sadas event organised by the state government is completed.
Sources close to the state government said that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is likely to call on the Union Minister of Road, Transport, and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, to ensure that all the land acquisition proceedings related to the ORR will resume at the earliest.
"A decision on the ORR will be taken very soon. Since the CM is in Nava Kerala Sadas, he will be free only after December 23, and a meeting has to be scheduled with the Union Minister. At present, no decisions have been taken at the meeting. But a meeting is expected to be held in January, and a decision on cost sharing will be taken," a source said.
Meanwhile, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials said that the state has to take a call. The NHAI expressed hope that the construction of ORR could begin before March 2024. So far, 40 per cent of the preliminary work on land acquisition as part of the 3D notification is complete in 11 villages.
Last week, many residents who had handed over their documents to the special tahsildar as part of the land acquisition staged an agitation towards the Collectorate, demanding to expedite the land acquisition proceedings or to give them back the documents.
A day ago, BJP party member and actor Krishnakumar met Nitin Gadkari and sought his intervention in the ORR project. The Minister told him that the Centre is giving utmost importance to the ORR project, and he assured him that all the hurdles related to the project will be cleared soon.
Earlier, all proceedings related to the ORR project were stopped by the NHAI due to fund-sharing issues between the state and the Centre. Three months ago, the chief minister wrote a letter to Gadkari seeking an exemption in funding for the ORR project as the state is facing a severe financial crisis.
The state has also sought the Centre's permission to make the road a 60-metre-wide highway instead of a 45-metre-wide road. However, the Centre has not replied so far to the request, and the NHAI has proceeded with the land acquisition work for the 45-m-wide highway with service roads. The ORR was proposed as a 70-metre-wide, six-lane highway, including 25-metre service roads. Later, it was shortened to 45 m.