G Sudhakaran releases progress card on Kollam bypass

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Works minister G. Sudhakaran has issued his government's progress card on the Kollam bypass, set to open by Prime Minister Narendra Modi next week ignoring chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan's attempts to steal the thunder.

In the seven-page note, Mr Sudhakaran maintained that Mr Modi should realise the generosity of the state allowing him to do it.

But he turned his ire at lawmaker N. K. Premachandran representing Kollam for giving credit to the previous dispensation which cleared the project which was in limbo since 1999 after finishing a 4.5-km stretch. 

Mr Sudhakaran blamed the UDF for "playing spoilsport". 

Mr Premachandran retaliated saying whoever criticises the style of the LDF government would come under their wrath.

"This is the time when the UDF and the BJP should be cordial with us. Modi should realise the generosity of the state as it was Pinarayi who was supposed to inaugurate the NH bypass," said Mr Sudhakaran.

He also said that only on Tuesday the state got the intimation from the PMO that he was inaugurating the NH bypass. The earlier intimation was that Mr Modi would visit the bypass sometime and there was no mention of its launch. 

Already the concerned departments have started preparations for the prime ministerial visit, he said. He claimed that the National Highway Authority completed 70 per cent of the work during his time.