RailEnquiry

Kochi: Extending support to the Kochi Metro Rail Limited in resolving the issue of acquiring the playground of St Albert’s College for the metro rail project, the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) chairman N.Venugopal has initiated discussions with the District Collector.Addressing the media here on Tuesday, the GCDA chairman said he had already taken up the matter with District Collector P.I Sheikh Pareeth.“Disputes related to the acquisition of St Albert’s College playground near Jawaharlal Nehru stadium can be easily resolved by handing over alternative land to the college. The vacant land behind the High Court owned by the Kerala State Housing Board can be given to the college as a playground”, said Venugopal.The GCDA’s effective intervention will give an impetus to the preparatory works of the metro rail project.The metro authorities are planning to set up the operational control centre (OCC) on 52 cents of land near the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium at Kaloor.Of the 52 cents, 40 cents from the 4.65 acres of land in possession of the college will be acquired and the rest will be from the GCDA.“I have already talked to the Collector and asked him to consider the proposal of handing over the vacant land. Since the ground near the stadium was given to the college on lease, an equal area of land can be provided for a long term lease”, added the GCDA chairman.Meanwhile, the GCDA has also expressed willingness to hand over land for road widening near the A.L. Jacob railway overbridge.