THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Confusion and delays continue to plague the long-pending Outer Ring Road (ORR) project as the disbursal of compensation to landowners affected by the project is unlikely to materialise by the previously promised deadline of July 31. Last month, PWD Minister P A Mohammad Riyas, after meeting the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, had announced that the final approval to the DPR will be granted by July end.
Official sources say a team from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will reach the state by next week. “A team from NHAI will be visiting the state and the authority has suggested some revisions in the ORR passing through hilly areas,” said an official source.
Meanwhile, NHAI sources said that the finalisation of the K Raveendran Nair, one of the landowners, alleged that the DPR, a prerequisite to initiating compensation disbursal, remains incomplete. He alleged that the government has committed a huge violation by acquiring land for a project that didn’t get the necessary approvals.
“For PPP projects, it is mandatory to obtain consent from 70 per cent of the landowners and this hasn’t happened in the case of the ORR project. The 3a notification issued is illegal,” he alleged.
“I have an RTI document that can prove that the project hasn’t made any progress in the last two years and the government has no rights to acquire land,” he added.
Last December, the Centre had asked the state to revise the DPR by adding SGST exemptions and amendments to mining laws. The state submitted the revised DPR in January 2025. The I4,767 crore-worth ORR project is aimed at decongesting city traffic and improving connectivity to the Vizhinjam International Seaport.
“We met all authorities concerned and they have assured us to sort out the issues and start disbursal of compensation by next month. The PWD secretary informed us that the project will get the approval after the NHAI visit,” said Chandramohanan Nair, chairman, Outer Ring Road Vizhinjam-Navayikulam Janakeeya Samiti.