THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Land acquisition is in limbo due to the service road of the proposed Vizhinjam-Navaikulam Outer Ring Road. Minister PA Mohammed Riyas said that the process of acquiring the land is in the final stage, but the situation is that the Center needs to take action to make it a reality. 477 crores should be spent on service road. The Kerala government had demanded that the National Highways Authority should bear this, but the center rejected it. The state government has decided to approach the Center again citing the special situation of Kerala. Only after this is decided, compensation can be paid to those who give away the land.

1600 crore liability

State government approved the construction of an 80 km road from Paripally to Vizhinjam in 2019. Road construction is done by National Highway Authority. The plan is that the main road will be 45 meters long and the service road will be 25 meters long. 1600 crores is needed for the construction of outer ring road to be built in connection with Vizhinjam port. The state has to bear 50 percent of the cost of land acquisition. 930 crores for land acquisition, 211 crores for exemption from state GST, 11 crores for royalty and 477 crores for service road construction. The current dispute is over this 477 crores.

Development will be in top gear

With the Outer Ring Road becoming a reality, the development activities of the state will speed up. The ring road will also open up better transportation facilities outside the capital city and faster cargo movement at Vizhinjam port. Outer Ring Road is a greenfield alignment. After the construction of the ring road, a growth corridor is also under consideration to develop townships and industrial parks in the vicinity as the second phase. Envisioned as a Special Investment Zone, the Growth Corridor will be developed on both sides of the Ring Road. The business zone will have demarcated zones for IT, manufacturing, marketing and other industrial units.

Panchayats through which the road passes

Venganoor, Kalliyoor, Pallichal, Malayinkeezhu, Maranalloor, Kattakada, Vilappil, Poovachal, Aruvikkara, Karakulam, Pothencode, Andorkonam, Mangalapuram