KOZHIKODE: The much-awaited expansion of the 8.4-km stretch of Mananchira-Vellimadukunnu road may not be a reality soon as the finance department has strongly opposed releasing more funds for the project in this fiscal, according to sources in the finance ministry.
It is to be recalled that the city has been witnessing a series of agitation for the immediate implementation of the project with prominent personalities like Dr MGS Narayanan staging a hunger strike in front of the Collectorate.
For total completion of land acquisition, rehabilitation of evacuees and road expansion, the project needs around Rs 1000 crore. Sources in the finance ministry pointed out that the total amount allocated for land acquisition of road expansion projects in the entire state for the fiscal was around Rs 1000 crore only. Apart from Rs 25 crore that was released, no other funds would be pumped into the project, it is learned.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had promised to allocate sufficient funds to convert the prominent city road into a four-lane highway.
Though he had announced that Rs 100 crore would be released soon, only Rs 25 crore has been released so far. The total amount necessary for the land acquisition alone is Rs 600 crore.
However, Dr Narayanan who is heading the agitation told Deccan Chronicle that the action council would meet the CM regarding this soon. “With Rs 25 crore, nothing can be done,” said Dr Narayanan.
“Using the paltry amount, the work can just be begun but we need Rs 100 crore immediately to continue the work. I have learned that the government had in principal accepted the proposal to release the amount but ‘when and how’ was yet to be finalised”.
Meanwhile, District collector N. Prasanth is confident that he would be able to complete the land acquisition of the Malapparambu stretch near ADM bungalow by May 20.
He told DC that if the vehicles were able to take a free left-turn at the junction, half the congestion in the stretch could be eased.
On the rest of the work, Mr Prasanth said that it was up to the government to sanction additional funds for the project.
