THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB) has floated an e-tender for the fifth time for the development of 13 smart roads in the capital, including the longest stretch from Althara to Attakulangara via Vazhuthacaud. The roads to be developed include the busy Manaveeyam road, Kalabhavan Mani road and General Hospital-Vanchiyoor road, which have been in a dilapidated state for almost a year.
The tender, which was called on April 5, is expected to open between April 20 and 26. The KRFB failed to award the tender for the last four times as the amount quoted by the bidders was 70-80% higher than the actual cost of construction. To prevent this from happening again, the Board has decided that the companies participating in the bidding process could only quote 10% higher than the principal amount.
Though the KRFB floated the tender last month, no bidders came forward to take up the work citing the amount as too high.
“We are sure that this time, bidders will show up. We held meetings with a few companies and they have expressed interest in participating in the bidding process. Some firms had apprehensions about the construction being stuck midway. However, we succeeded in taking them into confidence and the government can approve the tender if the quote is less than or equal to 10%,” said a top official with the Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Limited (SCTL), the implementing agency of the project.
However, citizens of the capital are showing no hope in the project and want the authorities to restore the dug-up roads to their previous condition.
“Unlike other cities, many people praise the roads in Thiruvananthapuram for the proper maintenance they received earlier. But since the smart city project came into existence, many roads were dug up and are now in a bad condition. Expectations were high when the authorities declared that the roads would be made “smart”. But nothing beneficial to the public has happened yet,” said Rasis R S, founder of the Trivandrum Indian Facebook page.The KRFB floated the tender for the Althara-Attakulangara stretch by dividing it into two reaches: Althara to Thycaud and Thycaud to Attakulangara. The tender process started in December last year.
The Board is also likely to seek an eight-month extension to complete the work, as smart road projects were proposed in the capital only in the second phase of the state government’s Smart City Mission.
In the first phase of the developmental project, the stretch from Althara junction to Thycaud overbridge near the Government Hospital for Women and Children will be made smart. In the second phase, the road from Thycaud to Attakulangara will be developed.
The widening and beautification of the stretch from Althara to Attakulangara have been a long-pending demand of the public. The work will give more focus on the development of the Vazhuthacaud junction.