KOZHIKODE: Many dream projects are awaiting the blessings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who arrived here for the BJP national council meeting on Saturday. Some of them are the National Institute for Research & Development in Defence Shipbuilding (NIRDESH), the Kozhikode railway station that cries for more facilities and upgradation of railway tracks and the dying Canoli canal, which could be developed to a spot of water cruise.
The city corporation had earlier included in its city master plan the Dream City Waterfront, which will be transformed into a hi-tech recreation area. NIRDESH, which may face a premature death, is waiting for the approval of the centre. NIRDESH, which had aimed at indigenous development of technology to build warships and submarines, was launched when Mr A.K. Antony was defence minister.
The Rs 560-crore project, the foundation stone for which was laid on January 4, 2011, has remained stagnant on the 40-acre proposed site at Chaliyam for the last five years. Mr Antony launched NIRDESH as an autonomous society under the defence ministry. There were allegations that the project was launched without cabinet approval. The rail passengers' forums based in Malabar have plans to bring to the attention of the railway minister and the prime minister the dilapidated railway stations, expired coaches and frequent incidents of derailments in the state.
Coming to Kasargod, Mr Jose Kochikunnel, a retired KSEB civil engineer from Kasargod, was awaiting the nod of Mr Modi for a proposal to start hill station air strips connecting Kasargod-Malampuzha-Munnar-Sabarimala to Kidangoor in Kottayam. "The state government had set aside Rs 15 crore for the project in 2015 but no further step was taken. Now the Union civil aviation ministry has supported the idea of small airstrips," said Mr Jose. The government can purchase a mini aircraft from a foreign country and can have four schedules in a day. It takes only an hour instead of 12 hours by train and can carry 44 to 78 passengers, he said.
