Muziris Heritage Project in limbo.

The Muziris Heritage Project, India's largest green culture conservation initiative undertaken along the stretch of the Periyar River between North Paravur and Kodungalloor, is in limbo.

Though the State government asserts in its progress card that the second phase of the project, initiated during the term of the last LDF government led by V.S. Achuthanandan, is under way, ground reality suggests otherwise.

“The project has been stalled for a year now,” fumes V.D. Satheesan, MLA representing North Paravur who is on the board of directors of the Muziris Projects Ltd – the company floated to implement the ambitious project. The company itself is in tatters, with no managing director while the special officer, the key coordinator among various departments involved in the project, retired from service on May 31.

“However, director board meetings are held as a matter of routine to comply with the company norms. One such meeting is slated to happen on Tuesday (June 27) as well, with no agenda. I’ve decided to give the meeting a miss. What’s the point when the decisions taken earlier remain unimplemented?” asks Mr. Satheesan.

The project looked set to be revived early this year, when the board was reconstituted and there were signs of work getting back on the track. Tourism officials had then said that the works pending from the first phase would be completed in six months and the second phase would be fully under way soon afterwards. “But nothing happened,” rues Mr. Satheesan, who oversaw work at 14 sites, part of the project in his constituency. “The government took eight months to reconstitute the board, but several major pending works remain unattended even now.”

THE HINDU