Kochi: Key projects like parking lot for trailor trucks and Vathuruthy Railway Overbridge have been hit after the Cochin Port Trust and the state revenue department entered into a tug of war over ownership of 13.91-acre reclaimed land at Ramanthuruthu Island in Mulavukad village here.
In a letter to the Revenue Principal Secretary, the Cochin Port Trust said it would not grant consent to the Vathuruthy RoB as promised earlier after the department “violated” an earlier tripartite agreement to transfer the said land to the Port Trust.
The development would also derail the Port Trust’s plan to set up a parking lot for hundreds of trailor trucks coming to the Vallarpadam Container Terminal daily. The trucks are currently parked on either side of the container road from Kalamassery, resulting in mishaps.
As per a tripartite agreement between Shipping Ministry, Cochin Port Trust chairman and the Kerala government, the latter would not claim ownership on any land that may be reclaimed by the Port Trust. The Cochin Port Trust had reclaimed 43.60 acres in Ramanthuruthu Island, however, the state could hand over only 29.60 acres.
“The state promised to handover the remaining land last year and we too agreed to give away our land for projects such as Vathuruthy RoB. However, in its letter dated January 20 last, the state government gave direction to the revenue department to retain ownership of the land. Currently it has leased the said land to Aspinwall & Co Ltd. We request the state to handover the remaining land and we’re only glad to oblige our part of the promise too,” a senior Port Trust official said.
The development surprised railway officials too who said its plan to operate DEMU services in the section will be affected. “We had started Harbour Terminal station and Old railway station renovation months’ back. The train operation was planned to start as soon as possible and the procedure to bring back the DEMU rake allotted to us had started too,” a senior railway officer said.
