Kerala pulls plugs on light metro

Kozhikode: Even as Kochi Metro is breaking revenue records on a daily basis, the Mono Rail/Light Metro dreams of Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode came to an end as the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) closed down its offices in both cities due to state government's apathy in moving forward with the project. Meanwhile the prominent citizenry have demanded for the immediate completion of road expansion and flyover construction projects stalled citing the upcoming MR/LM projects.

Interestingly the Public Works Department had directed to consult with DMRC whenever they prepare a draft or estimate regarding expansion of any city road or for construction of flyovers.

The entire road development works between Meenchantha and Medical College (14.2 kilometers) in Kozhikode have been shelved for the last many years due to the delay in the rail project. Amid protests from a section of the city folk, the leading lights of mono rail project launched in 2011 had declared that the projects would be completed by 2015. Later DMRC principal advisor E Sreedharan declared in 2014 that the light metro rail project would be completed by 2020.

 Noted businessman C.E. Chakkunni told Deccan Chronicle that it is high time for the state government to implement all the flyover projects blocked in the name of Mono/LM rail proejcts. "Railways had a project to construct a foot over-bridge linking the car parking zone of 1st platform and 4th platform which was also torpedoed citing the upcoming monorail project", he said. "Our rulers are cheating us in name of such futile projects", he added.

 It was reported that DMRC had received an amount of Rs 10 crore as consultation fee for the project. "The government should ensure that DMRC pay back the amount to the treasury as the project with baseless claims and foolish estimate, failed to take off", said K Shaju, president, Green Hope Society.  

However M.K. Raghavan MP, in a fax message to chief minister, demanded his urgent intervention to retain the office in Kozhikode. He also urged the state government to implement the project as the green signal of centre is not essential for the light metro project.