This Article is From Jul 24, 2013

Kochi Metro: First phase to be ready by December 2015

Kochi: The 13-km-long first phase of the Kochi Metro Rail project from Aluva to Palarivattom is expected to be completed by December 2015 and the second by March 2016, a review meeting of KMRL held here today said.

The meeting, convened by state Power and Transport Minister Aryadan Muhammed also decided to take up with the government the fast-tracking widening of the Thammanam-Pullepady road and Vyttila-Petta road to ensure greater traffic mobility during construction of the project and subsequently as well.

The Minister emphasized the need to undertake traffic diversions in a manner that caused minimum inconvenience to the public, a company press release said here.

The Principal Advisor, DMRC E Sreedharan, Managing Director, KMRL, Elias George, Inspector General of Police, Padma Kumar, District Collector, Sheikh Pareeth, and other senior officials attended the meeting.     

The meeting also undertook a detailed review of progress of land acquisition and noted that about 18 hectares of 40 hectares required for the project had already been handed over to KMRL. 

The district administration assured the minister that the total land acquisition process would be completed by the end of August 2013. It took note of the fact that 11 parcels of government land have to be handed over for project construction and it was decided to fast-track these proposals so that the land is made available to KMRL by the end of August 2013.

In respect to work at MG Road in the heart of Kochi, it was decided that the Road reach  would be undertaken together so that the entire work is finished at the earliest possible date while causing least inconvenience to the public as well as the establishments along MG Road.

It was observed that while the genuine concerns of the labour force and trade unions related to Metro work would be addressed in a reasonable and fair fashion, work would not be allowed to suffer because of labour disruptions.

It was also decided to have a reasonable labour policy regime and protocol for the Kochi Metro project that would be applicable to all reaches and the various elements of project implementation.

The meeting took note of the fact that action has to be taken for compliance of certain conditions of sanction of the project like formation of the Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA) realizing all additional revenues from property development and local taxes

It noted the progress attained on creating Metro Village at Muttom as well as the Urban Facilities Complex proposed on 18 acres of land at Kakkanad.
.