DR. SHASHI THAROOR MP’S FIVE-YEAR PROGRESS REPORT THIRUVANANTHAPURAM CONSTITUENCY 2009 – 2014 INITIATIVES FOR DEVELOPMENT AND WELFARE OF CONSTITUENTS 1. ROADS • After intensive discussions with Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways and senior officials, succeeded in ordering revival of the long-dormant Kovalam – Kaliyikkavila National Highway (NH- 47) Bypass work. This has brought succour to thousands of families whose lands and properties had been ear-marked for acquisition as well as for the tens of thousands of road-users who had been denied a much-needed quality infrastructure facility. • The NHAI allotted Rs. 1170 crores for the project. • Subsequently, followed up to have the all-important land acquisition notification in the matter issued. Further, put forward a practical plan, immediately accepted by the NHAI, to have the project undertaken in two parts, Kazhakuttam-Mukkola and Mukkola Kaliyikavila in order to achieve a quick start and avoid any further paralysis of the entire work due to minor procedural and legal bottlenecks in respect of certain small stretches. • Convened high-level meeting attended by the District Collector, officials of the NHAI and other State Government departments to review the progress made and devise a new time schedule for completion of the all-important land acquisition process. As a result, the work was completed in time before the expiry of the mandatory one-year period from the date of the preliminary notification issued under the ‘National Highways Act, 1956’. • Took steps to ensure that, in the first instance, the compensation package envisaged in the National Highways Act, 1956 was provided and later, to utilize the arbitration process envisaged therein to obtain more liberal and extra benefits. Further, steps will be taken to bring the entire project under the provisions of the recently enacted ‘the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013’, to enable these beneficiaries to obtain even more benefits under the latest legislation on the subject. The land acquisition process relating to the project and disbursement of the compensation amounts are nearing completion. • The NHAI has approved the Request for Qualification (RFQ) for the initial Kazhakuttam-Mukkola stretch. The Planning Commission has approved the contract details and issued the RFQ and RFP. Four firms have been shortlisted for finalizing the contract for making the entire Kazhakuttam-Mukkola stretch. The entire Kazhakuttam- Kaliyikavila stretch will be completed as a state-of-the-art four-lane highway. • Was successful in obtaining for Thiruvananthapuram constituency record allocations of Rs. 75.55 crores. Rs. 35 crore allotment was obtained for the Pallichal-Venganoor-Vizhinjam and Venganoor- Pachalloor-Kovalam road. Further, sums of Rs. 23.5 crores for (i) the Aakkulam-Sreekariyam-Mannanthala-Kodappanakkunu- Vattiyurkavu-Kundamankadavu; and (ii) Rs. 14 crores for the Neyyar dam-Shorlacod road was obtained from the Central Road Fund during 2010-2011. • Funds were also obtained from the Central Road Fund for two new roads. These are Rs. 11 crores for a new 20 km stretch from Vellayani junction – Ukkode – Kalliyode-Vellayani junction-Pookulam and Rs. 12 crores for improvement of 23 kms of the Udayankulangara – Plamootikada –Chenkavila- Idichackaplamoodu road. • As MP, substantially contributed to efforts for starting work on the widening and re-construction of the all-important NH-47 stretch between Karamana – Kaliyikkavila NH-47 the existing major road life-line serving the southern parts of the constituency. Successfully requested the Chief Minister to convene a break-through high-level meeting of Ministers and officials convened under his chairmanship, following which the relevant land acquisition notification was issued, the prime action essential for getting the work started. Successfully intervened with Chief Minister and Finance Minister to make sufficient allocations for the work in the State Budget, 2013-14. The first stretch of the project is expected to be completed within next 2 years. The global tender for the entire project has been issued. • Substantial allocations were obtained for the constituency under the Prime Minister’s Grameena Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). The details of the projects and the allocations under each are given below: • Dhanuvachapuram – Udayinkulangara road (Rs. 121.13 lakhs) • Eythukondakani-Palappally road (Rs. 172.55 lakhs) • Aryanad-Mylachal road (249.77 lakhs) • Rs. 299.38 lakhs for (i) Amboori-Kumbichal Kadavu road; (ii) Katthipara-Panthaplamoodu; (iii) Mylalikara-Koranjiman road; and (4) Kandathitta-Paruthipara road. 2. RAILWAYS • Made sustained efforts at highest levels and achieved key advances in the development of the Railways in the constituency. These include: * 14 (Fourteen) new trains for Thiruvananthapuram Central. The trains are:- - Kochuveli-Mangalore express - Kochuveli-Yeshwantpur Express - Tirunelveli – Bilaspur Express (via Tvm) - Tirunelveli – Happa express (from Tvm) - Thiruvananthapuram – Kozhikode Janshatabdi express - Kochuveli-Bhavnagar Express - Thiruvananthapuram-Nilambur Road express - Kanyakumari-Dibrugarh express (via Tvm) - Kollam-Nagercoil MEMU - Thiruvananthapuram-Chennai Duronto express - Kochuveli-Porbandor Express - Thjiruvananthapuram-Bangalore Premium Expreess - Thiruvananthapum – Nizammuddin Express -Nagercoil – Punaloor Passenger • Actively pursuing the starting of a new suburban train service on the Thiruvananthapuram-Chengannur-Haripad sector to benefit daily passengers. The Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation is preparing a mega signal network which will enable more than one train to proceed between two stations in the same direction. • Actively pursuing with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation the time- bound implementation of the prestigious Monorail Project for Thiruvananthapuram. • Succeeded in obtaining a special package of Rs. 10 crores from the Union Tourism Ministry to implement a number of projects for enhancing passenger facilities and amenities at Thiruvananthapuram central station. Work on four escalators and a new booking office at the station has been inaugurated. • Out of the 5 stations in the country earmarked for upgradation to world-class standards, Thiruvananthapuram has been first to get off the blocks in terms of completing all formalities and for proceeding with the actual works envisaged. • A project report for the setting up of a Railway Water Bottling Plant for Thiruvananthapuram was completed and tender has been called for setting up the plant at Parassala by the IRCTC. • Efforts made for the setting up of a Railway Medical College at Thiruvananthapuram. Even though the proposal to set up such Medical Colleges have not made much headway in other parts of the Country, in Thiruvananthapuram the matter is still under active consideration for a PPP model project. • Personal visits and discussions with various Railway Ministers and senior officials yielded many benefits to the constituency some of which are the following: • Dhanuvachapuram station on the Tvm-Parassala sector which had been only a minor halt station has now been allotted Rs. 2 crores for improvement and enhancement of facilities and buildings. The related works have been inaugurated. • Increased funding was made available for raising and lengthening the platform of the Balaramapuram station and for arranging other facilities. • Approval was granted for a Railway Over bridge (ROB) at Nemom. • Construction of a new ROB at Kazhakuttam was started. • Frequency of a number of long-distance trains was increased. • In fulfillment of the demand of the employees of Technopark and the residents of Kazhakuttam, stops have now been allowed for a number of long-distance trains at Kazhakuttam station. These include, the 16649 Mangalore-Nagercoil express, 16650 Nagercoil- Mangalore express, 16526 Bangalore-Kanyakumari express, 16525 Kanyakumari-Bangalore Express, 16620 Thiruvananthapuram- Mangalore Malabar express, 16303 ernakulam- Thiruvananthapuram -Vanchinad express • Additional stoppages for important trains at Parassala including the Jayanti-Janata express, Ananthapuri express and Parashuram Express, fulfilling a long-standing demand of the people of the region. • Additional coaches attached to the Nagercoil-Kochuveli passenger to solve the problem of overcrowding for the daily commuters. • The prestigious ‘Parashuram Express extended to Nagercoil thereby providing an important direct link for people of the region with the rest of Kerala in addition to increasing travel facilities on the Tvm- Parassala sector. • The Madurai-Kollam Passenger extended to Punalur. • Actively worked for clearing various bottle-necks for the starting of the long-awaited MeMU train services between Kollam and Nagercoil. The service which has been started from 1st December, 2012 will significantly augment the rail travel services in the constituency. The MEMU service has since been extended to Kanyakumari as announced in the Railway Budget, 2013-14. • Improvements in services at all stations located in the constituency, including new footbridges, elevated platforms, computerized reservation facilities, etc. A significant allocation of Rs. 6 crores was made for development works at Kochuveli station in the Railway Budget of 2013-14. • Efforts being made to improve facilities at Veli station. • Two automatic ticket vending machines were installed at Thiruvananthapuram Central which has provided speedier ticketing services to