Compensation delay stalls Balaramapuram road widening; tender likely pushed to May-end

T'puram: The four-laning of 1.5-km Kodinada-Vazhimukku stretch at Balaramapuram has hit another hurdle, with compensation disbursal to affected landowners coming to a halt due to delays from the revenue wing of the district administration.Kerala Road Fund Board, the implementing agency, officials said around 50 landowners are yet to receive compensation, even as payments progressed in phases until March. Nearly 150 beneficiaries received payments over the past few months, but the process stalled in April, reportedly due to administrative delays and diversion of revenue officials for election-related duties. Sources indicated that the next phase of disbursal, covering about 15 landowners, is now scheduled for Thursday. However, the delay has already impacted the project timeline, with KRFB unable to float construction tenders as planned. Kodinada-Vazhimukku stretch is part of the larger Karamana-Kaliyikkavila road development project, aimed at easing congestion along the busy NH 66 corridor and improving connectivity to Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. The project involves widening the road into a 30m-wide four-lane corridor with modern safety features. Despite state govt allocating over Rs 100 crore for compensation and initiating phased payouts earlier this year, procedural bottlenecks, particularly document verification and administrative approvals, repeatedly delayed full disbursal. Landowners, many of whom already surrendered land or vacated properties, continue to face financial strain due to uncertainty. KRFB officials added that the tender process can only begin after compensation is completed and land is formally handed over. With the revised schedule, tenders are now expected to be floated only by the end of May. The looming southwest monsoon in June is likely to further delay construction activity. Road works across Kerala typically slow down during heavy rains, raising concerns that the already delayed project could be pushed back by several more months. The widening of this road link is considered crucial for decongesting Balaramapuram Junction, a major bottleneck on the southern outskirts of the capital. However, unless compensation issues are resolved swiftly, residents fear the long-pending project will continue to miss deadlines.