Thrissur: The Kerala High Court asked the chief secretary to take into consideration the grievances of the petitions in the suit filed alleging that the state government was going about making its Hill Highway Project (HHP) in the district without developing road facilities of the high range areas but by installing Hill Highway (HH) boards on the existing roads itself. HC judge Shaji P. Chaly said in his judgment that as the government itself had made it clear that the HHP was envisaged to provide better roads and transportation facility to the people in high range areas, the issues raised by petitioners, DCC secretary Shaji J. Kondankandath and two other councilors of Pananchery panchayat, need to be taken into consideration and their participation was necessary in reaching a finality in the matter.
The court has asked the chief secretary to file a final report at the earliest, definitely before four months after receiving the copy of the judgment before it disposed of the petition. Mr Kodankandanth said that according to the proposed design of the project by the National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (NATPAC), the HH went through the National Highway for 16 kilometers from the point it entered Thrissur from Palakkad till Peechi.
“Our petition has questioned this and we have sought a parallel road from near the Kuthiran Tunnel through Vazhukkumpara, Manjakkunnu, Poovachodu, Kattachira, Pattlumkuzhi and Peechi. If this route is opted for the HH by developing an already existing road, the distance from Vazhukkumpara to Peechi can be reduced to just nine kilometers and a tourist corridor connecting Malapuzha, Peechi Dams and the proposed International Zoo in Puthur can also be set up,” Mr Shaji said. However, the PWD officials are of the view that they had put in place the HH route as per the survey conducted by NATPAC and the matter would be taken up with the Centre in view of the judgment.
