Thiruvananthapuram’s Sreekaryam flyover and the proposed widening of the Parvathy Puthanar canal were among the major projects reviewed by the district development committee, which directed departments to speed up land acquisition, relocation and coordination work across the district.
The online meeting, held on Saturday and chaired by district collector Anju K S, examined the progress of infrastructure and tourism projects in several constituencies. The collector stressed the need for better coordination among departments to ensure that projects move forward within their planned timelines.
For the Sreekaryam flyover, the collector directed officials to fast-track the proceedings required to relocate the Sree Narayana Guru and Ayyankali statues at Sreekaryam junction. The relocation is linked to the start of construction work on the flyover, according to the report.
The meeting also directed the revenue department to expedite land acquisition proceedings connected with the widening of the Parvathy Puthanar canal. The project involves demarcating land along the canal, making the revenue process a key administrative step before further work can proceed.
Several other transport and public infrastructure issues were reviewed. These included infrastructure requirements at the Medical College bus stand, construction of the Chulliyoor bridge in Parassala constituency and the widening of Madhu bridge at Punchakkari. The committee also considered the resumption of KSRTC bus services that had been suspended on various routes in the district.
Tourism projects discussed at the meeting included the proposed development of Madavoorpara, the Amburi tourism destination project and the Aruvikkara tourism corridor. Officials also reviewed the beautification of Varkala municipality and the restoration of overgrown stretches of canals under the Neyyar irrigation project.
The agenda extended to public safety and social infrastructure. The committee reviewed four stadiums being developed under the Sports Kerala Foundation, renovation work at the Bonacaud layams, road improvement to the Eradi-Vattappullu settlement area and the functioning of the newly established Rapid Response Team at Kottur. It also discussed the inspection of high-mast lights installed at potentially unsafe locations under the Smart City project.
Land acquisition for the Prem Nazir memorial was another issue considered by the committee. The meeting brought together elected representatives and district officials, including MLAs V Muraleedharan, C K Hareendran and G Stephen, representatives of the MPs from Attingal and Thiruvananthapuram, and MLAs from Nemom and Varkala. Additional district magistrate A Nisa and district planning officer Praveen P Pallath also attended, along with other district-level officials.
The district administration’s immediate focus, according to the directions issued at the meeting, is to accelerate statue relocation for the Sreekaryam flyover and land acquisition and demarcation for the Parvathy Puthanar canal-widening project, while departments continue work on the other infrastructure and tourism initiatives reviewed.
