Project to relay Kochi roads to start in 2013

KOCHI: A project to relay 19 city roads is expected to begin next year, as the district administration will submit a revised report on the land acquisition (LA) package this week. Authorities were asked to revise the report they submitted to the revenue department a few months ago.
Officials of the Kerala road fund board (KRFB), the implementing agency, said the revenue department had asked them to conduct a social impact study, which is part of the new resettlement and rehabilitation policy of the state government."We were asked to do a detailed survey on the classification of land. The study will be based on survey numbers, number of people who are affected and the compensation package. The report has been prepared and it will be submitted within a week," an official said.
The official added that once the revenue department gives its approval, the initial steps for land acquisition would be mooted. "Under the present circumstances, we expect officials in the land acquisition section to complete the process in six months. Once the district administration hands over the land to us, the project will be completed in two phases," an official said.
Meanwhile, land acquisition deputy collector Mohandas Pillai said that land would be acquired using the fast track procedure where both land owners and government will not have to bear a huge loss. "We are planning to submit the final report to the revenue department in a week. Once we get the administrative sanction, we will complete land acquisition in six months," he said.
KRFB had prepared the detailed project report to relay 19 city roads in 2007 and received administrative sanction from the public works department (PWD) in 2010. To complete the first phase of the Cochin City Road Improvement Project (CCRIP), RFB will require about 7.52 hectares of land. The expenditure for the same is pegged at around Rs 200 crore. The total project cost is Rs 525.23 crore.BOX
Major city roads that will be revamped
Phase 1
Kaloor-Kadavanthara Road
Vyttila-Thripunithura Road
Fort Kochi-Chellanam Road
Edakochi Road
Kumaranashan Road
Mathai Manjooran Road
Salim Rajan Road
Phase 2
Thammanam-Pullepady Road
Goshree-Mamangalam Road
Karshaka link Road