Several projects in Kozhikode still on the back burner.

Several multi-crore projects, including the Kozhikode Light Metro that was granted administrative sanction in 2015, seem to be very much in their infancy even as the Left Democratic Front government celebrated a year in office on Thursday.

The government has not yet secured clearance from the Public Investment Board (PIB) for the project, which is a prerequisite for the Centre to accord 20 per cent of its equity contribution to the ₹2,500-crore project.

However, a silver lining is that a survey had been conducted for the construction of metro stations. As much as 10.05 hectares of land ,of which 1.5 hectares in private possession, have to be acquired for the project.

Similarly, the expansion of the Calicut International Airport has been hanging fire for quite some time. The delay in acquiring land is holding up the extension of the runway.

The operation of Boeing B-747, B-777, and Airbus A-330 has been suspended since the tabletop runway is unsuited to handle wide-bodied aircraft under Code E.

The Airports Authority of India has already informed the government that the future of the airport depends on acquiring land for extending the runway. Officials even have suggested that the government identify hills in Kozhikode, Palakkad and Malappuram districts to be razed for filling the valley.

Another big project on the back burner is the widening of the Mananchira-Vellimadukunnu Road in the city. Here too, the problem is land acquisition estimated at a cost of ₹284 crore. Hitherto, a sum of ₹60 crore has been allotted by the government for the improvement of Malaparamba Junction. Widening the busy 8.4-km stretch of National Highway 212 (new NH 766) into a four-lane carriageway is required to curtail accidents and ease traffic congestions in the city.

The annual budget presented by Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac had mentioned raising funds through Pravasi Chitty to construct coastal and hill highways. It had proposed to issue bonds to Non-Resident Indians for ₹10,000 crore through the newly created Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board.

Proposals such as to set up a ₹100-crore Advanced Technology Park at Ramanattukkara and Japanese-Korean industrial cluster in Mavoor have not even moved beyond the embryonic stage.

However, the government managed to acquire land in different parts of Kozhikode for the Gas Authority of India Limited’s gas pipeline project despite resistance by local residents.

THE HINDU