Road annuity scheme is much ado for nothing

KOCHI: The much- hyped road annuity scheme proposed by the city corporation to find a permanent solution to the poor condition of the roads has failed to take off.

The fund-starved civic body had proposed the concept to rope in private operators for road development. It was one of the major recommendations of the national road conclave organised by the civic body in 2011 with the objective of framing proper plans to repair and maintain city roads.

The annuity scheme has much significance in Kochi in the wake of city roads getting damaged frequently and the corporation having to dole out a huge amount for the annual maintenance of roads. Under the scheme, the construction and maintenance of a road will be allotted to an agency, for which it will be paid a fixed amount annually by the civic body.

The city corporation has been following a traditional system of road construction and maintenance which has to be changed according to geological and climatic conditions, say experts. The scheme will ensure that the construction of roads is completed within the deadline and that they are operated and maintained according to specific standards.

Corporation contractors also support the proposal. “If the system is implemented, we would be able to maintain roads properly using the fixed amount paid annually by the civic body”.

Meanwhile, the Kerala Road Fund Board has successfully undertaken road development projects on the annuity scheme in Thiruvananthapuram.

The City Road Improvement Programme (CRIP) in Thiruvananthapuram has become a model for other states.  Other cities like Chennai and Rajkot have taken valuable lessons from the road development in Thiruvananthapuram. The KRFB availed the service of World Bank experts in drafting the tender condition of the annuity scheme.