Thiruvananthapuram: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has reassured Kerala officials that the land acquisition process for road widening will continue and tenders will be issued on completion of the process, but the NHAI order placing Kerala on the second High Priority II list cannot be revoked.
However, PWD secretary G. Kamalavardhana Rao, who is in New Delhi, has told NHAI chief N.N. Sinha that the State expected an order in “black and white”, restoring Kerala projects on High Priority in keeping with Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari’s assurance to Chief Minister Pinarayai Vijayan on resuming NH 66 development.
The NHAI had prioritised the development of all national highways into two categories — Priority I (High priority projects which would be taken up immediately) and Priority II.
The development of the National Highway and State Highway corridors in the state was included in Priority II list, pushing projects to 2021.
National Highways Authority of India had earlier asked Kerala to stop acquisition of land for the NH-66 project, exempting certain stretches in Kasaragod. NH-66 project included erstwhile NH-17 and NH-47 and areas to the south of Edappally. 1,111 hectares had to be acquired for the project As on date, 80 per cent land has been acquired in northern districts and 60 per cent in southern districts.
Mr Rao told this newspaper that the pace of land acquisition had picked up in the state and any further delay in land acquisition would mean a rise in land prices. The decision to stall the project came even as the government was trying to complete the delayed project by 2021.
The Centre had said that it would allot `1,600 crore to the Kasargod region this year for completion of the project. eomjm
