Bad roads: Minister to alert centre

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Thiruvananthapuram: PWD minister V.K. Ebrahim Kunju is planning  to hand over a memorandum to Union transport minister Oscar Fernandes explaining the plight of NH roads in the state.  In a five-page booklet along with photographic evidence of the dilapidated roads, it highlights the National Highway Authority of India’s ineptitude in maintaining the roads. 
 
The PWD has alleged that the NHAI has not been doing the maintenance work leading to  public criticism and much inconvenience to commuters. During the last fiscal year, `13 crore was the only grant sanctioned by the central government for the NH’s Ordinary Repair (OR) works. A mere `3 crore was sanctioned  this year, said a PWD official.
 
“The reason for reducing the allocation is that the centre has been under the impression that the NHAI will do the maintenance work. It has been creating huge headache for us,”  the official told DC.
 
Meanwhile, though land acquisition has been completed between Mannuthy – Vadakkumcherry and Vadakumcherry – Walayar, development works are yet to commence, which has also been highlighted in the memorandum. NH 17 and NH 47 have already been transferred to NHAI for development under National Highway Development Project.
 
According to a top PWD official, NH 49 (Kundanoor – Bodimettu – 167 km), NH 208 (Kollam – Kottavasal – 81 km), NH 212 (Kozhikode – Muthanga – 118 km), NH 213 (Kozhikode – Palakkad – 125 km), NH 220 (Kollam – Kumili – 190 km) roads under NHDP phase have been dropped by the union ministry as per the state government’s request.