Thiruvananthapuram road project showcased at UN forum

The 42-km Thiruvananthapuram City Road Improvement Project (TCRIP) was showcased in the PPP forum of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) held in Switzerland, said the project concessionaire.

TCRIP was one of the 12 public-private partnership (PPP) projects selected from across the world to be featured in the forum for demonstrating good governance and sustainable development, Anil Pandala, project director, told IANS.

The project was granted by Kerala Road Fund Board, a state government agency, to a consortioum of IL&FS Transportation Networks Ltd and Punj Lloyd Ltd.

It was executed in four phases starting in 2004 and finishing last month, Pandala said.

It included developing 42.06 km of city roads by strengthening surface, widening, correcting geometric and vertical profiles, providing proper facilities for drainage of storm water, enhancing pedestrian facilities, improving safety by installing solar powered and GPS enabled traffic systems, energy-saving street lighting systems, landscaping and planting of trees.

Interestingly, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had in its 2010-11 report pointed out several "deficiencies" in the execution of TCRIP.

"The project remained incomplete even after seven years of award of a contract and the government had incurred arbitration liability of Rs.125 crore (as against the estimated cost of Rs.140 crore) towards cost escalation, idling of resources, delay in handing over land, etc.," the CAG had said in its report.