Kochi: Union Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday said the Central government will not be able to take up widening of the national highways in the state unless the state government completed land acquisition for the project. He also said the non-completion of the GAIL gas pipeline project has put a big hole in the Cochin Port Trust’s revenues, forcing the Centre to think of closing it down.
“I had requested the previous government to acquire the land at the earliest for the NH,” Mr Gadkari told reporters though video conferencing. “I would request the new government the same. We have no problem working with the CPM-led government as we do not want to mix development with politics. But with no land, we will not be able to build the road.”
Mr Gadkari has been pushing he State government to speed up the land acquisition process ever since he took over in 2014. It was under his prodding that the state government set up an empowered committee under the chief secretary to fast-forward the process. But the committee, which has met only a couple of times, has not been able to give the project the desired momentum.
Mr Gadkari said the state government should also complete the land acquisition for the GAIL gas pipeline project as well “The Cochin port is incurring huge losses but if the pipeline project is completed, then it will give the port a revenue of Rs 150 crore. If this does not happen, the Centre will be forced to close down the port,” he said. Mr Gadkari said the Centre as willing to form a joint venture with the state government for developing inland navigation routes.
