KOCHI: The allocation of Rs 150 crore for Kochi Metro Rail in the state annual budget presented on Monday will further accelerate the proposed project. This is the second highest allocation made by the State Government for the Metro since its takeoff. The LDF Government in 2010 had made an allotment of Rs 156 crore for the major Metro Rail-related projects. In the last year’s revised budget, the UDF Government had allocated Rs 25 crore for the project. The Union Government also had announced a Rs 60 crore fund for the Kochi Metro Rail project in the Budget presented last week. The Kochi Metro Rail authorities said that the fund allotted in this year’s budget will be spent for land acquisition. “The first and foremost priority of Kochi Metro Rail Limited at this point is land acquisition. Without the required land available, the project cannot move further. We need to get the land in our hand before we start any kind of civil work and hence the emphasis is being given to land acquisition,” said Kochi Metro Rail Limted (KMRL) managing director Tom Jose. He said that along with the land acquisition activities, other parallel works will also be taken up. Earlier, the authorities of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), which is implementing the Kochi Metro Rail related projects including the reconstruction of North Rail overbridge (RoB) said that the allotment of funds in the Union Budget is equal to giving the nod, in principle to the project. They also said that the first phase of the reconstruction of the North RoB will be completed before August.
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