Kochi: The Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA), which is tasked with the development of vacant railway land for commercial use, has conducted a survey of the Old railway station, raising concerns of delay in development of the station as the hub of suburban services. The development comes even as the renovation of the Harbour Terminus and Old Railway Station, located behind the High Court, are included in the priority list of projects to be jointly undertaken by the state and the central governments.
“The RLDA is entrusted with utilisation of vacant railway land not required by the railways for its immediate future operational needs for commercial purposes to mobilize additional financial resources. This means its development as the base station for the sub-urban project will be delayed,” sources said. They pointed out that while the renovation work of the Harbour Terminus was progressing fast, no work was being done for Old railway station development.
“There was a move for commercial exploitation of the key property in the city’s heart by vested interests. The survey by the RLDA raises eyebrows. However, we are happy the project was included in the priority list of joint projects to be undertaken by the railways and the state government. Now measures should be taken for immediate commencement of the station renovation work,” said K.P. Hariharakumar, General Convenor, Ernakulam Old Railway Station Development Samiti. “An order from the headquarters was received to assist the two-day survey of the RLDA, which is a separate agency altogether. We are yet to get any direction regarding station development though,” a senior official of the Thiruvananthapuram division said.
