The Hindu                20.04.2013

Tripunithura municipality for PPP model to develop bus terminal

Tripunithura municipality is seeking the private-public partnership (PPP) route to develop the long-standing proposal of a bus terminal near the railway station.

A clearance from the Railways is awaited to send out the proposal for investor participation, said R. Venugopal, Chairman of the Municipal Council. Any project within 50 metres of a railway station requires high-level sanction.

The council has, in general, agreed to the proposal and is waiting for the sanction to put it up as a project report. The project planned on 12 acres and 60 cents envisages land acquisition in the area lying next to the railway station, which is a bunch of private holdings scattered among 18 individuals. The land cost alone would be over Rs.60 crore, said Mr. Venugopal.

The project requires five acres to develop roads to and from the terminal and seven acres to develop the terminal area. Another 60 cents of land would be required to rehabilitate 13 households, he said.

“The government is offering no assistance in land acquisition as it is one of the most time-consuming and difficult tasks. It cannot be put up as a project in the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission because the mission does not fund land acquisition,” said Mr. Venugopal.