Kerala: Why progress on 3 key KIIFB projects in Kottayam is stalled

Kottayam: Three key Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) projects in Kottayam have stalled due to an alleged lack of planning, mismanagement and corruption. The construction of two major bridges on the Kottayam-Vaikom route has been long pending due to KIIFB's planning failure. The Aymanam indoor stadium, which was built three years ago for 5 crores, collapsed after the inauguration and locals point it as evidence of corruption in KIIFB projects.

To prevent embarrassment in front of foreign delegates, the partially constructed bridge was covered with large boards during the G20 Summit in Kumarakom. The Anchumana Bridge project began utilising KIIFB funds in October 2020 with the announcement that construction would be finished in six months. The residents are still unable to use the bridge as of January 2024. This significant KIIFB project in the district is dormant and not benefiting people due to inadequate strategy, which includes insufficient land acquisition.

In May 2022, the Konathattu Bridge connecting Kottayam and Kumarakom was demolished. The anticipated cost of this KIIFB project was Rs 7 crore. With the assurance that construction would begin within a year, this bridge project has come to a standstill. It turns out that the bridge's design itself has a flaw. The contractor believes that an additional minimum of Rs 6 crores will be required to complete the bridge hygienically. 

The indoor stadium in Aymanam, built during the first Pinarayi government for Rs 5 crores from the KIiFB fund, is not only a sign of mismanagement but also of blatant corruption. The KIIFB authorities have been silent about this structure, which fell within months of its inauguration, for the past three years.