Even as confusion over the inclusion of the four/six-laning of National Highway 66 (NH) in the State in the High Priority-I list prevails, Kerala has urged the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to grant approval for the 26 packages this financial year itself.
The State’s request for the approval in toto for the NH projects was made by the Principal Secretary, Public Works, G. Kamlavardhana Rao, to the Secretary, MoRTH, Sanjeev Renjan, at a meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Mr. Rao, who met the MoRTH Secretary one day after a meeting with Chairperson of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) Nagendra Nath Sinha, apprised him of the status of the land acquisition for NH development from Thalapady to Karode on Kerala-Tamil Nadu border.
Acquisition proceedings
Mr. Renjan was told that land acquisition proceedings to acquire 1,111 hectares of land for NH 66 widening was in the advanced stage. Of the 1,111 hectares for 14 corridors, 3A notification under NH Act 1956 had been completed for 982 hectares, 3D notification was in progress for 760 hectares and 3G notification was in progress for 113 hectares.
The posting of IAS Officer K. Biju as Special Officer to expedite the land acquisition proceedings for NH development and formation of the CALA (competent authority for land acquisition) was also taken up at the meeting which was attended by senior MoRTH officials.
The Principal Secretary also pointed out that compensation could be paid to those surrendering the land and being displaced only if the project is approved. The Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the NH corridors has been prepared and submitted to the MoRTH last year itself.
Tenders for NH
The NHAI had asked the State to float tenders for the National Highway corridors where land acquisition had been completed. But, the NH four/six laning projects listed in the Bharatmala project continue to remain in High Priority -II despite the NHAI’s May 9 directive.
The State is demanding a letter from the NHAI for including all the 26 packages approved last year under Bharatmala in the High Priority-I. Only the Thalapady-Chengala and the Chengala-Neeleswaram figure in the High Prirority-I.
Resource crunch and high land acquisition costs have forced the NHAI to prioritise the projects. The State is also worried over whether it will have to foot the bill for land acquisition as being asked for the Outer Ring Road (ORR) interconnecting NH 66, State Highways and MC Road.
It is learnt that a decision on the request for re-prioritisng the NH development will be taken up only after the new government assumes power in the Centre later this month.