Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram

Beach project getting delayed

By T. Nandakumar

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM MAY 31. The failure to update land records in the City Corporation threatens to delay a major project to beautify the Sanghumukhom beach and improve facilities for tourists.

The project which is to be executed as a BOT scheme has been entrusted to ICICI- Kinfra for preparation of project profile and identification of the promoter. But in the absence of proper land records for the proposed site, the facilitating agency is yet to prepare a detailed report.

The civic body is yet to prove possession of the 20 acres of land required for the project. Corporation officials say they have records to prove that a major portion of the land was handed over to the local body by the Travancore royal family. But the land has not been included in the property register.

A part of the area is currently held by the DTPC which runs a restaurant and a traffic park near the beach. According to the Corporation, the land was handed over to the DTPC during the interim period when the District Collector was holding the office of the Mayor. Officials fear that DTPC might lay claim to the land.

Efforts to secure revenue puramboke land for the project are also beset with problems as a part of the land is on lease to a local football club. A senior Corporation functionary said moves were on to get the land registered in the name of the local body and include it in the property register. Officials from the local body are in touch with Revenue authorities to sort out the issue.

ICICI- Kinfra is to make a project presentation before the Corporation on June 3. Corporation officials fear that an ownership dispute at a later stage could prove to be a setback.

The proposal which was included in the Corporation's budget has been taken up with the Government and efforts are on to expedite the process. The project also includes the South Palace which was reclaimed from a lessee after a long legal battle. Corporation sources said the palace would be retained as a heritage structure.

The absence of an updated property register has left the Corporation struggling to deal with a series of disputes over ownership of land identified for various projects. The failure to maintain land records has pushed the local body into prolonged legal encounters and bogged down major budget proposals. In two cases, the civic body is locked in a dispute with Government agencies to settle its claim to prime plots in the city. The clash over the ownership of 42 cents of land at Thampanoor has resulted in a long legal battle with the KSRTC.

While the RTC asserts that it holds the ownership rights to the land, the City Corporation maintains that the plot had been handed over to it by the Government in lieu of the CP Sathram which was acquired by the Southern Railways. The Government is understood to be in favour of a negotiated settlement.

The local body has drawn up a project and earmarked funds to construct a Janatha rest house and dormitory at the site to provide affordable accommodation for transit passengers arriving by train or bus.

The modernisation of the Pangode fish market is another major project which has been held up by a land dispute. In this case, the Corporation is involved in a spat with the Revenue department over the ownership of 40 cents of land for the Rs. 2.25 crores project.

The Mayor, J. Chandra, has announced that moves are on to update the Corporation's property register.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Beach project getting delayed
• Encroachments posing threat to wetlands
• A night drive to hell
• E-commerce taking over Internet: VC

Copyright © 2002, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu