The Rs 4,219 crore Light Metro Rail project in Thiruvananthapuram has been delayed. The delay has been caused due to slow pace of land acquisition for the project despite warnings from Metro Man E Sreedharan over time and cost escalations.
The land acquisition has been done only for flyovers. There are four flyovers on the 21.8 km Technocity-Karamana corridor. The state government has given its nod for negotiated purchase, but work is yet to be fast paced.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is the turnkey consultant for the Light Metro project for Kerala Rapid Transit Corporation (KRTL) that executes the project. The ministry of urban development has been sitting on the comprehensive mobility plan of the two cities with an outlay of Rs 6,728 crore from September 2015.
The Kerala government has made a budgetary provision of about Rs 200 crore for the preparatory work. In Kozhikode, for its 13.33 km elevated Light Metro project with 14 stations, the state government will invest Rs 2,509 crore for land acquisition alone.
In Thiruvananthapuram, land acquisition will entail an investment of Rs 272.68 crore to procure just 2.27 ha of land and shift 163 buildings. The state government has also been in talks with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) officials for step loans at four percent interest with repayment tenure spread over 40 years. DMRC has completed demarcation of the land for the flyover.
Kerala, through its SPV, Kerala Rapid Transport Corporation, will conduct a social impact assessment study for the proposed flyover at Sreekaryam. This is mandated by the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act.