Thrippunithura: While students elsewhere are settling into new classrooms this academic year, those at Government College, Thrippunithura, can only watch the new academic block on their campus from a distance. Though completed three years ago at a cost of nearly ₹14 crore, the building remains inaccessible due to the absence of a proper road.

It was only after the construction was completed that authorities realised the building lacked an access road. As a result, the facility remains unused, with the premises now lying neglected and overgrown with vegetation.

The college building stands on a 7.75-acre plot acquired in 1982. Originally a marshland, the site was used as a dumping ground by the Kochi Corporation for 17 years and later by the Thrippunithura Municipality for several more years as part of land reclamation efforts. It was only after the land was recovered through legal intervention that construction of the new college building finally began in 2017–18.

In the absence of a proper access road, materials for construction had to be transported through the Valummel Road here. However, creating a permanent route to the campus proved far more challenging, as it required the consent of 72 landowners. While the landowners had agreed to provide access if the municipality approved their proposed projects, the plan failed to materialise as the land could not be reclassified from its official status as paddy land. As a result, the road access issue remains unresolved, leaving the ₹14 crore building inaccessible and non-functional.

The college continues to function from an old building with limited facilities, while the inability to open the new campus has also deprived it of science courses that require laboratory infrastructure. Attempts to break the deadlock saw the then Education Minister and senior university officials visit the site, after which a land surveyor prepared three alternative access road proposals. Although the plans were submitted to the university and other authorities, the matter failed to move forward.

Responsibility for selecting the most viable of the three proposed access routes was eventually vested with the municipality. However, according to college authorities, despite several rounds of discussions, the previous municipal council failed to reach a decision. Even after the change in administration, there has been little progress. The college has since submitted a detailed report to the Director of Collegiate Education, but a resolution remains elusive.

Commenting on the issue, D Arjunan, former councillor of the municipality, urged the authorities to intervene without delay and initiate discussions to arrive at an early solution. “Students who deserve access to modern laboratories and science courses are being forced to continue in an outdated building due to official apathy,” he said.

V P Prasad, Chairman of TRURA, described the situation as a serious administrative failure. “The fact that the new Government College building at Thrippunithura, completed at a cost of several crores, cannot be opened for students due to the lack of access is a grave lapse on the part of officials. Those responsible must be held accountable. It is baffling that such a massive investment was made without ensuring access to the site. The required land should be acquired without further delay so that the building can finally be opened for academic use,” he said.