THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: While the state government has abandoned the underpass proposal for Balaramapuram as part of the four-lane expansion of the Karamana-Kaliyikkavila road development project, the land acquisition proceedings for the Kodinada-Vazhimukku stretch in Balaramapuram are nearing completion. The revenue wing of the district administration has initiated the verification of landowners’ documents and is finalizing compensation amounts. It is anticipated that the land acquisition process will conclude by December, with construction possibly commencing in January or February.
On September 30, documents belonging to 27 landowners on the left side (towards Neyyattinkara) of Vazhaimukku were verified, and they agreed to the fair value of the land price. At Vazhimukku, it is reported that a landowner will receive Rs 16 lakh per cent, with this figure expected to rise when land is acquired at the Balaramapuram junction. The next document verification is scheduled for Thursday, with 17 landowners instructed to produce their land documents. Sources connected to the revenue department have indicated that the land acquisition process will be completed, and the land will be handed over to the Kerala Road Fund Board, the project’s implementing agency, in December.
Jacob Sanjay John, Deputy Collector (Land Acquisition), stated that all land acquisition proceedings are in the final stages. “We have already begun informing landowners to provide their documents, and the verification process is underway. We will prioritize compensating landowners,” he said.
According to S N Satheesan, Special Tahsildar LA (NH), document verification on the eastern side of the road is ongoing, and the entire process is expected to conclude by December. Verification and compensation distribution on both sides of the road are set to be completed by December, allowing construction to begin in early 2024. “We can hand over the land to the KRFB by December.
The verification and compensation awarding are in progress, and other works have been completed,” he said.
Regarding the current alignment, land will be acquired via the Old Rajapatha Road near the Thykkapalli mosque. Revenue officials note that there will be minimal land acquisition on the 300-metre-long Old Rajapatha stretch, as most of the land is already under the state’s ownership. Only a small portion of land needs to be acquired from private owners.
The second phase of the six-lane Karamana-Kaliyikkavila highway, from Pravachambalam to Kodinada in Balaramapuram, was inaugurated in February 2022. Recently, the state government approved Rs 200 crore for the proposed alignment of the Vazhimukku-Kaliyikkavila stretch as part of the highway’s expansion. Meanwhile, the revenue wing of the district administration has not received official notification from the state government about the abandonment of the underpass proposal. “We were not informed officially about the decision to drop the underpass. Nevertheless, land acquisition proceedings for the standard four-lane widening are progressing,” Jacob added.
The government’s decision to cancel the underpass plan was made during a meeting led by PWD Minister P A Mohammed Riyas following recommendations from Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board officials. Initially, the KIIFB had proposed the underpass and allocated funds for it, but they have now revised their stance, opting for a widened junction similar to the Pravachambalam-Kodinada road, spanning 30.2 metres.