Kollam: The much awaited Chinnakkada underpass intended to ease the traffic along the National Highway was inaugurated by urban development minister Manjalamkuzhi Ali at a function held here on Friday.
The minister announced a Rs 200 crore project to slum dwellers in the city and improve amenities under the Rajiv Awas Yojana.
“Various developmental projects of over Rs 200 crore are being implemented in the city. An initial amount of Rs 27 cr has been allocated for the slum modification,” he said.
The Nagara Jyoti project aimed at popularising the use of LED lamps as part of bringing down power consumption will be initiated in the city soon.
He said a new slaughterhouse with advanced facilities would be constructed with an outlay of Rs 24 crore.
The project will be implemented under the public-private participation besides a solid waste disposal unit at suitable place alleviating apprehensions of the public.
Youth Congress activists raised slogans and entered the dais demanding inquiry into the scam associated with the construction of the underpass.
Labour minister Shibu Baby John, who also questioned the efficiency of the underpass to ease the bottlenecks in the city, later pacified them.
Construction of the underpass, part of the KSUDP project, started on May 7 last year with the September 8 deadline in the same year.
The deadline changed several times and its cost, originally set at 2.84 cr, overrun almost five times to Rs 12 cr.
The 286-metre long underpass, 9.5 metres wide, begins from Kumar Theatre junction, passes beneath the railway over bridge to the Press Club ground, and ends near the Traffic Ground in the city.
