THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The implementation of Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP) and State Roads Improvement Project (SRIP) received a major boost after discussions held by PWD officials in New Delhi on Thursday.A team of PWD officials held talks with the World Bank team on KSTP and with officials of Department of Economic Affairs on SRIP. A team of officials led by KSTP Project Director N Prasanth held discussions with the World Bank officials on Thursday morning. The talks ended on a positive note. A sum of Rs 650 crore (US$ 141 million) had been sought from the World Bank for the project covering 367.40 km. World Bank officials agreed to send its first mission to the state on first week of January. “This is a major breakthrough for KSTP as the World Bank approval will be decided after the mission. If the World Bank mission issues aide memoir, then the state could start implementing the project,’’ Prasanth said The World Bank had previously decided to back out from the KSTP Phase II owing to the delay in land acquisition. According to PWD officials, land acquisition will not be a problem this time as 95 per cent of land had been acquired. The second phase of the project aims at improving eight corridors which include upgradation of 27.76-km Kasargod-Kanhangad road, 20.90-km Pilathara-Pappinissery road, 4.5-km Thaliparamba-Iritty road, 53.12-km Thalassery-Valavupara road, 132.2-km Punalur-Ponkunnam-Thodupuzha stretch, 87-km Chengannur-Ettumanoor-Muvattupuzha stretch and 41-km Perumbilavu- Pattambi-Perinthalmanna Road.DEA support to SRIPIn the meeting held with the officials of Department of Economic Affairs, the PWD officials arrived at in principle agreement to go ahead with the project. The DEA will recommend to the Asian Development Bank for the loan needed for the implementation of Rs 5100-crore SRIP. ‘’The DEA officials have appreciated the project. They only have to get a clearance from the Finance Ministry regarding the debt-servicing capacity of the state,’’ Prasanth said. Gujarat and Karnataka had submitted projects along with Kerala. However, the project submitted by the state reportedly received appreciation due to new concepts adopted in the project. Around 1,000 km of State Highways and major district roads would be renovated under the SRIP. The Kerala Road Fund Board is the executing agency of SRIP.
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