Nitin Gadkari to bail out Kuthiran
The works were halted for the past 10 months due to lack of funds with main contractor KMC.
Thrissur: The Centre will intervene to resume the works of the long-pending 30-km-long Mannuthy-Vadakk-enchery six-lane toll highway and the one-kilometre long Kuthiran twin tube tunnel, Union minister for Road Transport has said.
The works were halted for the past 10 months due to lack of funds with main contractor KMC.
Union surface transport minister Nitin Gadkari who met a delegation of Kerala MPs at the Parliament house on Friday said the main contractor KMC which is facing severe financial crisis would be provided funds from L&T Finance to settle their bank debts and to resume the works.
The chairman of NHAI and top KMC officials were present at the meeting. The contract for the toll way project was signed in 2009 and was expected to be completed in 30 months time along with 12 months in addition considering mobilisation. The project which started with an estimate of Rs 514 crore has now become a Rs 1019-crore project due to cost escalation. T.N. Prathapan, MP, said he took up with the minister the issue of building an underpass at Mulayam on the NH to reduce accidents.
“The Union minister admitted that KMC was at fault considering the inordinate delay in completion of the road project where the tarring and other related works are yet to be fully completed. As soon as the state government completes the procedure of acquiring the forest land, the Centre will approve it," said action council member Shaji J Kodankandath.