THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the LDF Government on the threshold of celebrating its second anniversary, the claims raised by Public Works Department minister G. Sudhakaran on completing the National Highway development work within the next three years remains hollow. Despite the top PWD officials putting in relentless work towards completing the land acquisition on the NH 66, they allege that Ministry of Road Transport and Highways secretary Y. S. Malik has raised claims that the compensation being provided to the land owners and construction cost is too high compared to other states.
In one of the earlier meetings in February chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan it was decided to break nine road packages on NH 66. A tentative timeframe was also finalised which is most likely to be delayed by another two to three months. Earlier, the tentative work target was scheduled to start between August - November this year. But now top engineers have told DC that it is going to be further delayed for two reasons.
"One is because of the issues that had cropped up during the land acquisition process in Malappuram. Secondly, there has been lack of clarity on the side of the officials of National Highway Authority of India. We are put on the dark as to what is happening and the blame is on the PWD officials", said a top PWD official.
MoRTH secretary Malik is yet to sanction the seven projects as currently only works on Thalassery - Mahe bypass and Kozhikode bypass are on. It is reliably learnt that the standing work committee under the central ministry is yet to take a final call on the remaining seven stretches citing exorbitant rehabilitation and compensation package to land owners and also the cost of the construction work.
Another top PWD official told DC that if Rs 3500 is charged for per metre square area in Karnataka, the corresponding rate in Kerala comes to only Rs 2000 per metre square. On Thursday, PWD minister G. Sudhakaran had demanded to the engineers of southern region of his department that they should discharge their duties in a time bound manner. He has asked them not to initiate road repair works during June - July when the South West monsoon hits the State.
