City roads to wear a new look.

After several hiccups, the modernisation of six important roads under the Kozhikode City Road Improvement Project (KCRIP) of the Kerala Road Fund Board has begun.

The Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society (ULCCS), which won the contract, is executing the project after forming a consortium and raising Rs.200 crore from 32 small cooperative societies for the work. The delay in utility shifting had resulted in re-scheduling the construction activities.

The work should have started in October. An agreement between the ULCCS and Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB) had been inked in June, 2015 for the KCRIP works.

The six roads that will be developed and the sanctioned amount for each are: Stadium-Puthiyara (0.644 km), Rs.8.47 crore; Kovoor-Vellimadukunnu Road (2.735 km) Rs.23.83 crore; Karaparamba- Eranhipalam and Arayadathupalam- Kalluthankadavu Road (4.526 km), Rs.26.31 crore; Gandhi Road-Mini Bypass and Kuniyilkavu-Mavoor Road Junction (3.435 km) Rs.30.46 crore; and Panathuthazham-CWRDM road (8.45 km), Rs.18.60 crore. Kozhikode Special Tahsildar (KCRIP) N. Ramla said that shifting of utility cables have been completed on many roads.

The Kerala Water Authority (KWA), Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB), and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), had to shift their cables on these roads.

The Kerala Sustainable Urban Development Project (KSUDP) is also engaged in construction of drainage systems. Initially, the work would begin on the Stadium-Puthiyara road, she said.

Ajay Kumar, project coordinator, Kerala Road Fund Board, said that the shifting of utility cables that are above the ground had been completed on all the roads. The shifting of underground cables would also be completed within a week.

However, all preliminary activities in connection with the modernisation of the roads had commenced.

The survey and location identification of four roads before the execution of construction had been done. The real- time implementation of work would begin in another two-three days, he added.

As per agreement, the duration allowed for its completion was two years. The ULCCS would complete the project using its own funds as per the contract. The construction will be on a Build-Operate-and-Transfer annuity basis. The government would repay an amount of Rs.23.11 crore to the ULCCS every six months.

THE HINDU