KOTTAYAM: In a major setback to the developmental activities along Thellakom-Ammancheri stretch, the work on the railway overbridge (RoB) near Caritas junction at Thellakom, has not begun even five years after its declaration.
The work on the proposed bridge, along Thellakom-Medical College road, which was sanctioned in the Railway Budget 2010-11, due to the effort of Jose K Mani MP, failed to take off following the delay in completing the land acquisition process by the State Revenue Department. Though the estimated cost for the RoB has increased manifold and reached Rs23 crore in the latest revision, the authorities have failed to acquire a single piece of land yet. The locals have been demanding for an over bridge here since 2005 and the construction of the bridge was included in the priority list of the state government in 2007.
The Railways has allocated Rs40 lakh in its 2010 budget for the construction of bridge. With the sanctioning of Rs1.10 crore by the State government in 2011 for land acquisition, the procedure had been set off. However, the authorities and the people, whose land was to be acquired, had failed to reach a consensus over the land price.
Meanwhile, the Thellakom-Mundakppadom Grama Vikasana Samithi has alleged that the project was stalled due to the hesitation of a few persons to surrender their land for the price offered by the government, even after the project received administrative sanction of Rs23 crore.