Thiruvananthapuram’s Outer Ring Road Project Faces Fresh Delays Amid DPR Revisions And Stalled Compensations

Thiruvananthapuram’s much‑anticipated Outer Ring Road (ORR) project is expected to remain mired in uncertainty, as compensation for affected landowners seems unlikely to be released by the promised 31 July deadline, as per a The New Indian Express report.

The setback comes despite earlier assurances from PWD Minister PA Mohammad Riyas, who had announced last month after meeting Union Minister Nitin Gadkari that the Detailed Project Report (DPR) would secure final approval by July end.

According to senior officials, a National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) team is expected to arrive in Kerala next week to review pending issues.

“A team from NHAI will be visiting the state and the authority has suggested some revisions in the ORR passing through hilly areas,” an official source was quoted as saying.

However, concerns from landowners remain strong. K Raveendran Nair, one of the affected, alleged that the DPR remains incomplete, stalling the compensation process. He further accused the authorities of flouting rules.

“For PPP projects, it is mandatory to obtain consent from 70 per cent of the landowners and this hasn’t happened in the case of the ORR project. The 3a notification issued is illegal,” he claimed.

He added, “I have an RTI document that can prove that the project hasn’t made any progress in the last two years and the government has no rights to acquire land.”

The project, pegged at Rs 4,767 crore, is designed to ease congestion in the capital and enhance connectivity to the Vizhinjam International Seaport. Yet delays have become recurrent.

Last December, the Centre directed the state to revise the DPR with SGST exemptions and amendments to mining laws; the revised version was submitted in January 2025.

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