THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state is looking for a funding agency to take up the second phase of the Kerala State Transport Project (K..
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state is looking for a funding agency to take up the second phase of the Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP).
The World Bank, which funded KSTPI, has blatantly turned down the state's request to provide funds for its second phase.In response to the state's request for assistance for KSTPII, the World Bank said that the proposal forwarded by the state had several drawbacks. It lacked a vision to capture opportunities to progress with reforms in the road management sector and safety aspects.
Clearly mentioning that it was unhappy about the way KSTPI was implemented, the World Bank in its letter said that the proposal was also silent about how the challenges faced during the implementation of the first phase would be mitigated. Earlier also, annoyed by the state's approach towards the project, the World Bank had threatened to discontinue the project, which even drove the KSTP to the verge of closing down. The bank gave several extensions of periods of six months each time and the loan closing date was extended four times by three years from December 31, 2007, to December 31, 2010, to accommodate delays in the civil works. The scope of the project was reworked to include the PerimbilavauPattambiPerinthalmanna Road, which was prioritised in the original technoeconomic feasibility studies carried out in 2000 for the KSTP, making the total road length under the phaseII as 367.40 km.
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