Thiruvananthapuram: Delays often push up project costs and the extension of the second phase of the Kochi Metro Rail project has been running behind schedule, entailing additional costs for the Kerala Government.
The State has now renewed sanction for higher expenses on account of land acquisition and incidental costs with extra allocation of Rs 102 crore over the Rs 189 crore allotted earlier. The estimated costs went up following the delay in acquiring land.
The additional price incurred due to the delay is mentioned in the renewed administrative sanction released by the State Transport Department, in accordance with the Cabinet decision.
In 2016 February, the administrative nod was accorded for Rs 189 crore for the expenses including land acquisitions from Nehru Stadium to Kakkanad via Infopark as the second phase of the Kochi Metro Rail project. Of this, Rs 135 crore was estimated for land acquisition only. The remaining allocation was for shifting and relocating power, water and telephone connections.
Following this, the Government, in June 2017, had ordered to acquire as much as 2.86 hectares of land extending from Palarivattom to Kakkanad Infopark, under survey numbers with Edappally South, Vazhakkala, Kanayannur Taluk. Nevertheless, the Government has not made any major progress thereafter.
The land prices skyrocketed over the next six years. Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) wrote to the State Government seeking to raise the administrative sanction from Rs 189 crore to Rs 332 crore considering the rise in land value.
However, the District Collector’s report to the Government said that Rs 332 crore would not be required for land acquisition and other utility shifting works. Based on this report, the Cabinet decided to accord a renewed administrative sanction of Rs 291 crore for the same.
The Government has accorded the renewed administrative sanction as the validity of the earlier approval was due to expire soon.
The new metro line which will come up in the second phase begins from Kaloor International Stadium and goes via Palarivattom-Kakkanad Road, Seaport-Airport Road till Info Park. The total distance would be 11.2 km.
