ULCCS sole bidder to develop Kozhikode railway station

KOZHIKODE: Uralungal Labour Cooperative Society (ULCCS) is the single bidder for the development of the Kozhikode railway station project. The tender was opened on Wednesday and all the other private parties who evinced interest in the project have backtracked. According to railway sources, Inkel, Larsen and Toubro and Hilite builders had also come forward for the proposed Rs 322 crore development works in the initial phase. Kozhikode and Chennai Central are the only stations selected in the Southern Railway for the project which aims at uplifting stations to international standards.

The CPM and the majority of railway trade unions are up in arms against the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) model development of the railway station. ULCCS is a cooperative society with CPM backing. Dakshin Railway Employees’ Union (DREU-CITU) district president T. Suresh told DC. “The central government aims at privatization of the railways through the project. We will protest against the project tooth and nail irrespective of which private party has won the bid,” he said.

The united forum of the railway TU’s have organised a convention as a part of the protest at Kozhikode town hall on August 9.  According to the project, the 4.39 acres of railway land around Kozhikode railway station premises would be leased out to the private party for 40 years. The development works is envisaged in a way that would convert the station into a commercial-cum-recreational point.