THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Government will immediately provide `11 crore to Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) to take up traffic improvement works as part of the Kochi Metro Rail project.
The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy held here on Wednesday to discuss ways of expediting the project. KMRL would be requested to undertake selected road improvement works for the smooth flow of traffic.
It was also decided to finalise the Land Acquisition Rules as per the new Land Acquisition Act 2013.
Orders are being issued regarding taking over the 0.61 hectares of land of Apollo Tyres for the project. Regarding the land requirements at St Albert’s College ground and the Greater Cochin Development Authority’s (GCDA)’s request for compensatory land near Marine Drive, the government will issue final orders in a week. Kochi Corporation and Aluva Municipality will be asked to hand over possession of land required for the metro.
DMRC principal advisor E Sreedharan urged the State Government to pursue with the Railway Ministry regarding compensation of `30 crore due from Southern Railway on account of reconstruction of the North Rail Overbridge.
To expedite payment of compensation to landowners, it was decided that the land acquisition compensation would be paid directly by KMRL through the district administration machinery, in respect of lands which have been acquired by negotiated purchase. To settle the issues pertaining to the Vyttila-Petta road widening and the Phase-I of the Thammanam-Pulleppady road, another meeting would be convened by the Chief Minister on August 28.
Minister for Power and Railways Aryadan Mohammed, PWD Minister Ebrahim Kunju, Excise and Ports Minister K Babu, Urban
Affairs Minister Manjalamkuzhi Ali, GCDA chairman N Venugopal and KMRL MD Elias George were among those present at the meeting.