Palakkad: Kerala government does not have to make any extra budgetary allocation to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) for rebuilding the Palarivattom bridge in Kerala's Ernakulam district, DMRC's principal adviser E Sreedharan has informed Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Sreedharan also agreed to take charge of the project.

The DMRC had completed the construction of four bridges in Kochi at a cost lower than the estimated amount. Therefore, the Palarivattom flyover can be rebuilt using the remaining Rs 17.4 crore, Sreedharan told the CM over the phone on Wednesday.

The DMRC works in Kerala would conclude by September 30 and Sreedharan was earlier reluctant to take up the Palarivattom project. However, he changed his stance after CM Pinarayi called him up.

"When the chief minister called me last night, I told him about the technical issues and my health problems. However, he said it was better to let the DMRC rebuild the bridge and sought help," Sreedharan told Manorama.

The Metro Man said that he would take up this one more task for the public and State.

Sreedharan said that the work would be started within a week and the bridge would be opened for the public within 8-9 months.

He also sought the CM's intervention to ensure that Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society Ltd, which was awarded the contract, started the works at the earliest. Sreedharan also wants chief engineer Keshav Chandran, who joined the Kerala Rail Development Corporation from the DMRC, to be brought back on deputation.