Latest news with #KodikunnilSuresh
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Land acquisition delay hits Vizhinjam rail line work
T'puram: The tunnel portion of the railway line from Balaramapuram to Vizhinjam port is not progressing as expected due to land acquisition issues. Of the 10.7km railway line, 9.02km is underground. The project was approved by the railways and the environment ministry. However, not much has happened since the state cabinet approved the project in March. The issue was discussed at a meeting MPs had with Southern railway officials recently. Sources said that MPs raised the issue of the railway line connecting Vizhinjam port, but railways informed them that not much has progressed after it received the state govt approval and land was earmarked. MPs decided to take it up with the state govt. The project, prepared by Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd (KRCL), will cost Rs 1,482.92 crore and is scheduled for completion in 2028. A GO has to be issued and a project execution chart will be prepared before work can commence by the KRCL. Development of Balaramapuram railway station will be taken up first and then tunnel boring work and rail opening at Vizhinjam will be carried out simultaneously. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Esse novo alarme com câmera é quase gratuito em São Bernardo Do Campo (consulte o preço) Alarmes Undo Kodikunnil Suresh, MP, told reporters after the meeting that work on the Vizhinjam railway line is not progressing because land acquisition is slow. He said that state govt should do its part quickly for such projects, including the Sabari railway line. A rail link to Vizhinjam is crucial for the port to start moving transhipment cargo by surface transport. The railway line will go inside the port and a loading and unloading yard will be constructed in front of the space marked in the port parallel to the container handling area. Currently, containers brought by motherships are moved to other ports across the country using feeder ships. The port, which is handling around 1 lakh to 1.10 lakh containers per month, is now planning to move containers by road as soon as the highway entry point is ready. This will be a temporary measure until the proposed cloverleaf flyover is built at the junction where NH-66, the port's approach road and the outer ring road intersect.
The Hindu
21-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Chengannur railway station development to begin in December
The redevelopment of the Chengannur railway station will begin in December 2025, Kodikunnil Suresh, MP, has said. In a statement issued here after chairing a meeting of railway officials, people's representatives, and various organisations on Wednesday, Mr. Suresh said the station would be developed in two phases under the Amrit Bharat Station scheme of the Union Ministry of Railways. He said projects worth ₹98.46 crore would be implemented in the first phase. The Mavelikara MP said officials informed the meeting that the tender for the works would be invited next month. He said that as part of the station's development, the terminal building and parking area would be renovated in the first phase. A three-storey pilgrim centre, new railway quarters, a substation, a 300-KLD sewage treatment plant, offices, lifts and escalators will be constructed. An air concourse, 12 metres wide, will also be built. In the second phase, a building for the commercial section, a skywalk to the private bus stand, and a multi-level car parking facility will be constructed. Once these projects are realised, the total cost is expected to exceed ₹200 crore, he added. .
The Hindu
18-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Redevelopment of NH 183 gains traction
Plans to develop the Kollam–Kumily stretch of National Highway 183, a key project for the overall development of the Central Travancore region, have gained momentum with the issuance of land acquisition notifications. Confirming the development, Mavelikara MP, Kodikunnil Suresh said that two notifications have been issued for acquiring land required to widen the first phase of the highway to 24 metres. 'The project is now awaiting a financial clearance for its first stretch, which runs from the Kollam bypass to Anjilimoodu near Chengannur. Consultation meetings ahead of construction have already been completed,' he said. The first phase covers a 54-km stretch and involves constructing a four-lane road with a 15-metre-wide carriageway, 1.5-metre-wide central divider, 1.5-metre-wide footpaths, 2-metre shoulder pavements, and 0.5-metre-wide utility ducts. The estimated cost for this phase is ₹2,300 crore and of this, ₹950 crore will be spent on the stretch from Kadavoor to Vayyankara in Kollam district and ₹1,350 crore on the section from Vayyankara to Anjilimoodu in Alappuzha district. The project also includes the construction of four major bridges, including a railway overbridge at Perinad in Kollam, a railway underpass at Chakkuvalli, and a road intersection at Charummoodu. 'As soon as financial clearance is granted, a notification will be issued to enable land surveys, inspections and valuation, followed by the land acquisition process. A Mumbai-based agency has been appointed as the project consultant,' the MP added. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), on its part, has already started work on a ₹36-crore project to upgrade the Main Central Road from Anjilimoodu to Kottayam. Financial allocations have also been released for developing the Kottayam–Ponkunnam and Ponkunnam–Kanjirappally stretches of the highway. Meanwhile, progress is also being made on a parallel highway project that will connect Karunagappally in Kollam to Mundakayam in Kottayam. A feasibility study for this 116.8-km route, which passes through the high-range areas of Pathanamthitta and Kottayam, is currently under way. According to officials, this highway will link with the Erumeli–Sabarimala route at Elavunkal, pass through Kanamala, bypass Mukkuttuthara and reach Peroorthodu via the MES junction. It will then continue to Mundakayam via Manjaruvi and Kannimala. 'The alignment avoids major towns and populated areas by incorporating bypass roads. But with much of the route cuts through plantations and forest fringes, land acquisition may take sometime,' an official noted. Plans are also being considered for new national highway corridors linking Kayamkulam to Munnar, Alappuzha to Kodaikanal, and Kayamkulam to Punalur.
Time of India
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
MPs from Thiruvananthapuram lambast quality of food on trains
T'puram: MPs belonging to constituencies that fall in the Thiruvananthapuram railway division raised the issue of the quality of food supplied on trains in the state at a meeting with officials of Southern Railway. Twelve MPs took part in the meeting organized by the railways to discuss development activities in the Thiruvananthapuram division. The MPs spoke about the incident wherein Kochi Corporation officials raided Railways' central kitchen and found that food was being prepared in an unhygienic manner. However, Southern Railway allegedly passed on the responsibility to IRCTC, which is handling the catering on trains. "We have urged Railways to blacklist the Delhi-based company and withdraw them from supplying food to trains," said MP Kodikunnil Suresh. He raised suspicions over how a Delhi-based company was given the contract to supply Kerala food on trains here. The MPs have asked for a comprehensive investigation because a fine alone is not enough. "We have said that Southern Railway cannot wash their hands of it by saying that it is the responsibility of IRCTC. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Brasil: Precisa de dinheiro? Obtenha os fundos que você precisa hoje mesmo! Leia mais Undo The railway zone also has the responsibility to ensure that good quality food is given on trains operated by them," Suresh said. Meanwhile, the MP added that Railways said that a lack of land or delay in land acquisition by the state govt is the reason for delays in railway projects. Suresh said that the state is yet to hand over land for the railway line connecting Vizhinjam and the Sabari line. "The state govt is not doing its part. Around 160 acres are needed to build the third line. This line is needed to run more trains. The railways have expressed full cooperation to solve all issues that come under the Thiruvananthapuram division and Southern Railway zone," he added. MP NK Premachandran said that an additional platform should also be built at Kollam railway station. He said that Railways has assured that a multi-disciplinary training institute to offer a divisional permanent way training centre, divisional traffic training centre, and divisional mechanical training centre will be set up in Kollam. "Railways has allocated Rs 4 crore, and the work will be completed in Oct 2025," he said.
The Hindu
14-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Kodikunnil asks Centre to drop move to rename Nehru Yuva Kendra
Kodikunnil Suresh, MP, has demanded the immediate revocation of the Union government's decision to rename Nehru Yuva Kendra. 'The move appears to be part of a larger strategy by the BJP-led NDA government to erase institutions and organisations associated with the name of India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, for temporary political gains. Nehru was a monumental leader who laid the foundation of India's democracy and played a crucial role in shaping the country's growth in technology, education, and industry. The government's attempt to ignore and undermine his cultural contributions is not only ill-intended but also detrimental,' Mr. Suresh said. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Mavelikara MP said the BJP was afraid of Nehru's legacy and historical significance. 'The Nehru Yuva Kendra has been a key part of youth welfare and social development, influencing generations of young Indians. Changing its name is an effort to undermine the visionary leadership of Nehru, who guided the country's youth and promoted their potential. The Central government must immediately retract the decision,' he added.
