Will meet Union Minister Gadkari to discuss about cracks on national highway: CM

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday reassured the public that the six-lane national highway under construction is not at risk of total collapse. Addressing concerns over visible cracks in some stretches, he said, “There’s no need to assume the highway will be completely ruined.” He added that the issue stems from technical faults, which will be addressed, and confirmed that the project would be completed as scheduled. Vijayan also said that he will personally meet Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari next week to discuss the matter.

On the upcoming Nilambur by-election, the Chief Minister remarked that it is natural for elections to be viewed as assessments of governance. “Every election is an evaluation of the government,” he said. Taking a swipe at former ally P.V. Anvar, Vijayan said, “Anvar was thrown out of the alliance like a curry leaf.”

Responding to an RSS event held at the Raj Bhavan, which featured the participation of S. Gurumurthy, the CM called it “highly inappropriate.” “Such events should not take place at the official residence of the Governor,” he stated.

Vijayan also hit out at the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which recently filed a chargesheet implicating CPM leaders in the Karuvannur bank scam. He alleged political motives behind the move, saying, “There are court rulings that oppose dragging political parties into legal cases. This is an attempt to malign leaders with clean reputations. The ED’s credibility is eroding by the day.”

"When a tiger is about to kill, you can’t just form a committee"
Defending the state’s request to the Centre for permission to eliminate wild animals posing threats to human life, the CM criticised outdated legal procedures. Referring to the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, he said the law mandates the formation of a six-member committee, including officials and local representatives, before any action can be taken.

“Isn’t protecting human life more important than protecting wildlife?” he asked. “Saying a committee must meet when a tiger is about to kill is absurd. No other country has such procedures,” Vijayan added.