Arbitrator to look into complaints

By Express News Service   20th August 2010 08:18 AM

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The PWD will appoint an arbitrator to look into the complaints of all who had already given away land for the development of NH-17 and NH-47.
Following the decision of the all-party meeting to frame a liberal rehabilitation policy for the evictees, a section of those who had willingly given up the land during the initial acquisition raised voice of protest.
The decision of the PWD to appoint an arbitrator is aimed at addressing the woes of those who volunteered to give away land for the development.
The decision will largely benefit evictees in Malabar and Thrissur.
Almost 90 percent of the land for developing NH-17 has been acquired by giving the standard compensation fixed by the NHAI.
A high-level meeting of PWD officials convened by PWD principal secretary Tom Jose on Thursday decided to assuage the fears of early birds who came in support of the cause.
Certain clauses in the NH Act made the appointment of arbitrator easier.
Those who surrendered their land in the first-phase can now demand enhanced compensation in tune with the package approved by the State Government for evictees of the next phase.
Taking into account the suggestions of various political parties, the PWD plans to introduce a package that includes market price and 10 percent bonus for land acquired for the NH development.
The compensation will be decided after considering the market price, fair value of land prepared by the Revenue Department and the basic value shown in the deed registered.
Those who lose their means of livelihood will be given a considerate treatment.
The details of the rehabilitation package will be discussed in the meeting of PWD and Revenue Department officials to be held here on Friday.
The draft decision will then be submitted for the approval of the Cabinet.

High Court okays NH widening to 45 metres

By Express News Service

03rd November 2011 03:07 AM

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday directed the National Highway Authority of India to immediately take steps for widening and development of NH 17 and NH 47 with a width of 45 metres. The widening will be carried out through BOT method. With this order, the authorities can acquire the land for the widening work.
A Division Bench comprising acting Chief Justice C N Ramachandran Nair and Justice P S Gopinathan issued the order while considering a petition by Sunny Mathew Palkattukunnel challenging the govt order.
Additional Advocate-General K A Jaleel submitted that the state has decided to withdraw a government order directing the district collectors to keep in abeyance all further proceedings related to land acquisition for widening of highways. The court recorded the submission and disposed of further proceedings in the petition.
  ‘’The LDF Govt, consequent to the decision taken at an all-party meeting on April 2010, kept in abeyance all land acquisition activities in connection with the development of National Highways. Later, an all-party meeting on August 17 arrived at a consensus and decided to widen the National Highways with a width of 45 metres under BOT. The state directed the authorities to go ahead with the land acquisition for NH 17 and 47 with a width of 45 metres,’’ the petitioner pointed out.  
  However, on November 2010, the state decided to keep the land acquisition work in abeyance until the rehabilitation package submitted by the state was sanctioned by the Central Govt.

PWD sore about Highway Authorities' decision

By Express News Service

08th August 2010 05:25 AM

THIRUVANATHAPURAM :The unexpected decision of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to scrap the development project for Cherthala-Thiruvananthapuram stretch of the NH-47 is being viewed by  top PWD officials in the State as a bid to mount pressure on the State to toe the line of the NHAI with regard to the specifications of the new road.
The decision to scrap only one project and go ahead with all others is a clear indication of this strategy, sources said. The reason for scrapping the development of 169 kms of NH in southern Kerala is said to be the stiff opposition from the public and people’s representatives of the State against the BOT system and the 45-metre width.  But, these factors are there in the other stretches of the NH-47 and the NH-17 which will be developed as part of the National Highway Development Programme.
The NHAI has inducted clear riders to ensure 45-metre width for these stretches and the BOT system. The idea is to make the State Government accept the 45-metre width and BOT system for NH-17 and the northern stretches of NH-47. If that happens, then copying the same model for the Cherthala-Thiruvananthapuram stretch would not be difficult, said sources. An immediate response of the Government to the NHAI decision was not known as  PWD Minister M. Vijayakumar is in Vijayawada attending the extended Central Committee meeting of the CPM. However, sources close to the Minister told `Express’ that the issue would be discussed in detail during the all-party meeting scheduled on August 17.
The State Government is likely to invite Union Minister of State for Surface Transport RPN Singh and NHAI chairman Brajeswar Singh to the meeting.  But, a final decision will be taken only after Vijayakumar returns from Vijayawada. If the Authority sticks to its stand with regard to the NH-47,  the State Government will land in a difficult situation.
The decision of the NHAI to cancel even the detailed project means that the State PWD has to start it from the very first step. That is, a fresh DPR and a fresh tendering process need to be initiated by the government. As the project lags further, the number of displacements will  also be high. The effort of the State PWD, on August 17, will be to make a way out of this imbroglio.

Money

All-party meet demand likely to be rejected

By B Sreejan    22nd April 2010 01:00 AM

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The demand of the all-party meeting to restrict the width of NH-17 and NH-47 to 30-metres is likely to be rejected by the National Highways Authority of India and Surface Transport Ministry. Sources in the PWD told `Express’ that a similar demand when raised earlier by the Kerala PWD Minister was turned down by Union Surface Transport Minister Kamal Nath.
``Kamal Nath had told Minister P.J. Joseph and Principal Secretary Tom Jose that rules couldn’t be relaxed for Kerala alone,’’ said a source. On Wednesday, in New Delhi, a group of Kerala MPs met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and apprised him of the all-party decision. Singh told the MPs to meet Kamal Nath and convince him first.
In fact, NHAI chairman Brijeswar Singh, who attended the all-party meeting on Tuesday, categorically rejected the demand by political parties.
``You can build a road of 30-metre width, but it won’t be a National Highway. It will only be a state highway,’’ Singh sarcastically told the meeting. In his introductory speech, the chairman had tried to convince the participants about the necessity of 45-metre-wide NH in Kerala.
While all other states are constructing 60-metre highways on BOT basis, Kerala was allowed to go ahead with the 45-metre road considering the peculiar situation prevailing in the State. ``If the width is further reduced to 30 metre, the first casualty will be road safety,’’ Singh told the meeting.
The first priority of NHAI while designing roads having 4.5-metre- wide medians, service roads on both sides and scientific road markings is road safety. Scientific studies conducted by the Surface Transport Ministry testify to the necessity for a 45-metre-wide highway. According to a study conducted on NH-47, the traffic density on the road was 66,000 passenger car units(PCU). By now, it has risen to over one lakh PCU.
The Surface Transport Ministry specifies that 4-lane roads are a must wherever the traffic density is more than 35,000 PCU.
Going by this standard, the State’s National Highways need to be eight-lane. The completion of Vallarpadam Container Transshipment Terminal and the realisation of Vizhinjam Port will make the situation more complex. As an alternative road is almost impossible, the only option is to convert existing NH-17 and NH-47 to world class roads which provide speedy ride and safety, sources pointed out.

Joint action council alleges large-scale corrupt

By Express News Service

18th August 2010 08:11 AM

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The NH 47, NH 17 Joint Action Council has alleged that large-scale corruption is taking place in the name of National Highway development.
The Joint Action Council leaders Hashim Chendampilli, E V Mohammadali and Sundaresan Pillai told a news conference here on Tuesday that a ‘BOT lobby’’ was behind the decision to convene an all-party meeting to review the previous decision of an all-party meeting to limit the NH development to 30 metres.
They pointed out that it was following popular agitation across the State that the all-party meeting recommended 30-metre highway avoiding the BOT. Now, the move to sabotage the all-party meeting is the result of the pressure being exerted by the BOT lobby, they alleged.
The Action Council leaders said that the study conducted by RITES had pointed out that four-laning of the existing National Highway was not feasible.
They said that around nine lakh people would be affected by the acquisition of land on both sides of the 850-km-long NH 47 and NH 17. Shops and commercial establishments would have to be demolished leading to tens of thousands of people losing employment.
While each cent of land on both sides of the NH has a market value of over Rs 3 lakh, the compensation offered is just Rs 34,000.
The State Government has estimated an amount of Rs 3,000 crore for the acquisition of 5,000 acres of land, compensation for the loss of employment, houses and livelihood. But Union  Minister Kamalnath has been denying even this amount, they said.
The leaders alleged that corruption was behind the fixing of the alignment. Crores of rupees had been unearthed from the houses and offices of the high officials of the NH Authority in CBI raids. By presenting an estimate inflated by 300 percent and claiming 40 percent of the Central grant, the private company is scheming to construct the road using the government fund, the Action Council leaders alleged.
They said that the BOT company would get Rs 75,000 crore as profit in 30 years. The displaced people will have to pay 11 percent income tax on their compensation being given by the government.
They reiterated the stand that as the government had already acquired land for 30-metre widening and even more land at many places, it could construct the road using the amount set apart for the rehabilitation of the people being displaced for the 45-metre National Highway.
The Joint Action Council leaders warned of agitation in the event of any attempt to implement a 45-metre NH.

NH land acquisition getting murkier

By Express News Service  18th April 2010 04:49 AM

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Utter confusion which prevails even among ministers about the NH widening project is likely to cost dearly the development plans of National Highways 17 and 47. Though the PWD had inked a contract with the National Highways Authority of India for developing NH 17 and 47 under the BOT plan, a section of ministers questioned the existence of such an agreement in the cabinet meeting the other day.
Minister C. Divakaran, K.P. Rajendran and N.K. Premachandran who are learnt to have raised the issue in the cabinet meeting alleged that the alignment of new roads will make thousands of poor people homeless. Another major allegation levelled by these Ministers was that the NHAI had diluted acquisition plans for helping some bar hotel owners who own land alon NH-47.
It is reliably learnt that the NHAI authorities are unhappy over the recent controversies about the NH widening work in Kerala. NHAI chairman Brijeswar Singh will arrive here on Tuesday to hold discussions with the Chief Minister and PWD authorities. He may also attend the all-party meeting on land acquisition scheduled on that day.
If a consensus can’t be reached on the acquisition issue, NHAI may drop the project.
``The recent controversy was created by these ministers at the most inappropriate time. We had demanded more compensation for evictees and the NHAI had approved the demand in principle.
A proposal to conduct a socio-economic survey to gauge the difficulties faced by evictees and other locals was also planned,’’ said a top source in the Works department.
The proposal of the department was to demand land price at market rates for evictees and also provide decent rehabilitation plans for them.
“It was the duty of the government to bargain hard and translate these plans into action. Instead, they are challenging the basic agreement which is a common factor for all roads in the country,’’ said the source. In a press note issued here on Saturday, PWD Principal Secretary Tom Jose clarified that there was no substance in the allegation regarding bar hotels.
“Earlier, an allegation was raised that there were efforts to favour some bar-owners by manipulating the alignment plans. This charge was proved baseless in the inquiry. Of the 22 bars which have come up along Kazhakkoottam- Cherthala stretch of NH 47, 16 will be affected by acquisition,’’ he said.
Tom Jose also said that the PWD was committed to complete the NH widening plan with minimum inconvenience to local residents.

Potholed paths to progress

KOCHI: All the controversies regarding land acquisition for widening the National Highways in the state spin around the insistence of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and the Union Government that at least 45 metres should be acquired for the purpose. But the pathetic condition of service roads of NH maintained by the same authority along Palarivattom, Edappally, Kundannoor and Vyttila stretches points to the lackadaisical attitude of the authorities.
Vehicles parked on potholed roads prevent smooth flow of traffic along these roads. Motorcyclists and pedestrians suffer the worst. Pedestrians travelling along the NH have no other option but to use service roads. But the authorities are yet to start the repair work of these roads. “On the Aroor-Vyttila stretch, work of service roads has almost been completed. We will carry out the repair work at Palarivattom, Edappally and Vyttila in the next phase,” said C P Mathew, project director, NHAI.
The work of service roads from the Tamil Nadu border up to Edappally is being carried out by NHAI under the BOT scheme, he said.
Even while the authorities say that the work of service road on the Vyttila-Aroor stretch is over, they admit that the work of the service road at Kundannoor where it is most needed is yet to be completed.
Despite many requests and agitations by the people, the authorities are yet to start the work.
All that they say is ‘the work will start soon’.
The Ernakulam District Resident’s Associations Apex Council (EDRAAC) general secretary A Ajith Kumar said that residents had raised several agitations to highlight the pathetic condition of service roads running parallel to the National Highway in the city.
“We have raised the issue many times before the authorities concerned. Though they have promised to do the required maintenance work, nothing has been done so far. We are planning to launch a series of agitations in front of the office of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) demanding the repair of the service roads,’ he said.
He said service roads are a vital channel for residents to travel safely from Vyttila to Edappally.
“It will be useful for pedestrians and twowheeler riders to safely travel short distances.
The authorities must take immediate steps to repair service roads,” he said.
Vyttila
The busiest junction
Traffic on the NH at Vyttila is one of the heaviest in the state. If the service roads on either side of the Vyttila-Palarivattom stretch of the NH are repaired, those who are using too many by-roads in these areas can travel without much difficulty. The service road in Vyttila would have been useful for commuters coming from the city to go to Eroor and Tripunithura. Vehicles from the Thammanam area can take the service road in Vyttila via the underpass at Ponnurunni to go to Vyttila. Enjoying the free-left facility, such vehicles can avoid getting entangled in traffic bottlenecks. Vehicles coming towards Eroor will be to able to travel smoothly if the service road in the area is maintained properly.
Kundannoor Junction
Corridor of uncertainty
The expansion of the NH 47 has turned the Kundannoor Junction into a corridor of uncertainty for motorists. Though the stretch between Vyttila and Kundannoor has been tarred with proper lane markings, traffic comes to a standstill at Kundannoor with the finishing work on the twin-bridges getting delayed.
Currently, only one of the bridges, depending on which of them is under construction, is being used to carry heavy traffic on the route. The work on the underpass for vehicles going to hotel Le Meridien is only halfway through. In the event, these vehicles have to cut across the heavy traffic. Another headache is the mouth of the NH 49 in the Tripunithura direction, which is narrow in comparison to the NH 49 A, leading up to Thoppumpady. The passage for vehicles that need to turn left from Vyttila has not been demarcated properly causing confusion.
Edappally-Palarivattom
Improper use of service roads
Designed to ease traffic bottlenecks, service roads running parallel to NH 47 on the Edappally-Palarivattom stretch are in a pathetic condition. According to the National Highway rules, intersections from service roads to the highway must be kept at a minimum distance of 4 km; instead many slots are opened at every km, causing problems on the highway. “We have made efforts to bring down problems caused due to the improper use of service roads,” said Edappally Traffic Circle Inspector K R Venugopal. “We even closed some openings and appointed Traffic Wardens to regulate the sudden ‘U’ turns and the vertical crossing of vehicles from service roads to the highway.”
Missing footpath at Palarivattom
Pedestrians at a loss
Pedestrians are at the receiving end due to the bad state of service roads as the National Highway does not have footpaths. Pedestrians are using the side roads for the purpose. The poor maintenance of service roads is causing untold hardships to them. Waterlogging, coupled with potholes, makes the journey through these roads a difficult task. After dusk the potholes can be very tricky leading to many accidents. “Travelling through the service road near Palarivattam is a harrowing experience. Cars and other vehicles passing on the road splash murky water from the potholes on passersby,’’ says Manoj, a resident of Vennala. It is very difficult for people, especially the old, to walk on the uneven roads. The dilapidated roads provide hardly any space for people to step aside while the vehicles pass by, he said.
Undoing the good work
They were very fast in completing the surfacing of the road using state-of-the-art technology.
But now the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is out to undo the good work at Kundannoor Junction to paved way for an underpass there, thanks to poor coordination and planning.
Lots of effort, money and time could have been saved if the authorities had planned the underpass before starting the surfacing of the road in the area. While digging up the road, which had been constructed following the Indian Road Congress (IRC) stipulations at a cost of around Rs 15 crore a km, lakhs of rupees will be wasted. The surfacing has been done with a thickness of 10 cm. Moreover, passengers will have to face inconveniences due to traffic regulations once again.
Being the converging point of the national highways like NH 49 A, NH 49 and NH 47, Kundannoor is turning into one of the busiest junctions in the state. “It was after considering the heavy traffic in the area that we decided to construct an underpass at Kundannoor. But the plan for constructing the underpass came only after the surfacing of the road had been completed,’’ said CP Abraham, project director, NHAI.
There were plans to construct underpasses at many junctions including Thykkodam, Nettoor and Kannadikkadu.
But only the projects of Thykkoodam and Nettoor have materialised. 
kochi@expressbuzz.com

81% staying near NH backs road-widening: Survey

THRISSUR: Amidst heated discussions and controversies over the proposed widening of national highways in the state, a group of MBA students of Holy Grace Academy of Management Studies, Mala, have come up with the result of an extensive survey stating that 81 percent of the people who stay near the highways in the state are in favour of the widening of the highways.
The survey, which the students as well as their technical guidance team claim to have done using international standards, states that 51 percent of the people who participated is in favour of the widening of highways to the extent of 45 metres and 37 percent is in favour of 60 metres.
Only 12 percent people favoured 30 metres to the highways. The survey team told reporters here on Tuesday that the study aimed at gathering the perception of the entire state about the issue of the widening of highways. The team of over 100 students met 3,353 people who stay near the highways. The survey states that 84 percent people believe that good highways will play an important role in the economic development of the state.
"A majority of the people who stay near the highways are happy to leave their land, provided they get current market value for their land," Davis Perepadan, chairman of the institute said. The survey reveals that the people of Kerala do not agree with some political leaders' view that the present width of the highways in Kerala is sufficient.
There was a question in the questionnaire whether the move to oppose highway widening was a political game and more than a majority of the people felt that it was so. Most people were aware of the BOT system. Only a negligible group justified the collection of toll for roads.
The team said the survey covered all 14 districts and 63 taluks of the state and got in touch with 0.01 percent people out of a 3.19 crore population according to the international standards of randomopinion polls.
The survey team plans to hand over its findings to the National Highways authority and the Central and State Govts before the next allparty meet scheduled to be held in T'Puram in a couple of weeks.

Highway Protection Act facing hurdles

By Jisha Surya - THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

11th July 2012 08:38 AM

The Highway Protection Act, enacted for the protection and development of highways, often fails to serve its purpose of preventing the ribbon development along the highways. Almost 12 years after the implementation of the Act, the Highway Authority faces stiff opposition in demarcating control line, building line etc for the prevention of ribbon development.
 In order to ensure the standard width of the highways, it is crucial to prevent ribbon development, which is the growth of buildings, industrial and commercial establishments linearly along a highway with direct access to the highway. Works of a number of stretches of state highways remain  stuck on the issue of encroachment.
 Though the Highway Protection Act demands demarcation of building line (distance between road limit and building on roadside) and control line (distance required for road development) and publication of the same in gazette, the officials are yet to complete the process owing to opposition from various quarters.
 ‘’The officials are facing stiff opposition from various quarters, including top politicians. This will prevent the development of state highways,’’ said a PWD official.
 The Highway Protection Act permits the officials to displace temporary sheds, booths, hoardings etc without giving prior notice. The Highway Authority can collect the amount required for the removal from the erring roadside vendors. Encroachments can be removed with prior notice. The Authority can seek police protection, if needed. However, all this provisions remain on paper.