KOCHI: The action council formed to demand the construction of a railway overbridge at Vaduthala will submit a mass petition signed by over 6,000 people to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan when he is scheduled to visit Ernakulam on July 9. The long-pending demand for an RoB at Vaduthala has gained traction with the formation of the action council in the wake of the completion of the RoB at Pachalam.
“We have already collected 6,000 signatures for the mass petition and the same would be submitted to the CM on July 9,” Mr George Morris, general convener of the action council, said. The representatives of all major and minor political parties are in the action council. “We don’t foresee any opposition to the project from any corner as all sections of the people have been taken into confidence,” he added.
The Kochi Metro Rail Ltd has also promised to help in preparing a project report as well as the survey of the area, Mr. Morris said. “The members of the action council along with Mr K.V. Thomas MP and Mr Hibi Eden MLA have met KMRL managing director Elias George and he has promised to help,” he added.
Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac also promised to support the project when Mr Hibi Eden met him in Thiruvananthapuram the other day. Although Mr. Morris said land acquisition for Vaduthala RoB will be less than what was required for the Pachalam RoB, the implementation of the project would be a difficult task. The action council is also not supporting the suggestion for an underpass instead of RoB in view of the difficulties for land acquisition.
On the extent of land required for the project, Mr. Morris said the action council did not have a clear idea in this regard. “We would be able to get a clear picture after the completion of the survey by the KMRL,” he said. The cost of the project can be worked out after getting such details, he added.
