THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: PWD minister G Sudhakaran has lashed out at National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) saying that not even a single kilometre of road widening has been undertaken despite the state proactively involving in the project.
“Now the central government is insisting that the state should bear 25% of the land acquisition cost for the widening. As NH widening is necessary, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan convened a meeting and reached a consensus on giving 25% of the cost. This has been conveyed to the Centre and we are waiting for their response,” the minister said.
The state has decided to earmark Rs 5,400 crore from KIIFB towards the state’s share of the land acquisition cost.
The minister said that work of Kozhikode bypass got stalled despite NHAI awarding the project in April 2018. “We learned that the contractor has financial issues. In that case, they should re-tender the project. Despite the stretch developing several potholes, no action was taken. The same contracting firm took up the widening work of the Manoothy-Vadakkanchery stretch and abandoned it midway,” he said.
Sudhakaran said NHAI initiated the tender process for two stretches in Kasaragod around one-and-a-half years ago, but is yet to finalise a contractor.
Despite Rs 7 crore being paid for the Alappuzha bypass, the railways is yet to give permission for the construction of the road overbridges on the stretch, he said.
“Now the central government is insisting that the state should bear 25% of the land acquisition cost for the widening. As NH widening is necessary, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan convened a meeting and reached a consensus on giving 25% of the cost. This has been conveyed to the Centre and we are waiting for their response,” the minister said.
The state has decided to earmark Rs 5,400 crore from KIIFB towards the state’s share of the land acquisition cost.
The minister said that work of Kozhikode bypass got stalled despite NHAI awarding the project in April 2018. “We learned that the contractor has financial issues. In that case, they should re-tender the project. Despite the stretch developing several potholes, no action was taken. The same contracting firm took up the widening work of the Manoothy-Vadakkanchery stretch and abandoned it midway,” he said.
Sudhakaran said NHAI initiated the tender process for two stretches in Kasaragod around one-and-a-half years ago, but is yet to finalise a contractor.
Despite Rs 7 crore being paid for the Alappuzha bypass, the railways is yet to give permission for the construction of the road overbridges on the stretch, he said.
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