UDF, BJP attempts to politicise NH-66 incident 'laughable': Pinarayi Vijayan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan asserted that concerns about the national highway construction being derailed due to the damage in Malappuram are baseless and unlikely to materialise. He was inaugurating the concluding session of the state government's fourth anniversary celebrations.

"The government will support the continuation of the national highway works in Malappuram. The attempts by both the UDF and the BJP to portray the Malappuram incident as a failure of the state are laughable. The issue was a technical fault in construction, which will be examined and necessary action will be taken. The state has already communicated its stance on the matter to the central government. National highway development is progressing well in Kerala. It was the LDF government that revived a project abandoned by the National Highways Authority," the CM said.

"There had been similar opposition to the GAIL pipeline project. But with government intervention, that too was completed. Had it been the UDF in power, the outcome would have been entirely different," he said.

Dismal state of hospitals has improved

"An amount of Rs 5,000 crore was spent on the public education sector. Ten lakh students have newly enrolled in government schools in the state. The once-pitiful condition of hospitals lacking medicines and staff has changed significantly. There was opposition and criticism when KIIFB (Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board) was formed, but now projects worth Rs 90,000 crore are progressing," the Chief Minister pointed out.

The event was presided over by Minister K. Rajan. Other attendees included Ministers A.K. Saseendran, K. Krishnankutty, Roshy Augustine, K.N. Balagopal, P. Rajeev, V.N. Vasavan, Saji Cherian, Dr. R. Bindu, V. Sivankutty, G.R. Anil, Ramachandran Kadannappally, Mohammed Riyas, Veena George, District Collector Anu Kumari, MP A.A. Rahim, MLAs Kadakampally Surendran, Antony Raju, V.K. Prasanth, V. Joy, C.K. Hareendran, K. Ansalan, Mathew T. Thomas, O.S. Ambika, D.K. Murali, G. Stephen, I.B. Satheesh, and Mayor Arya Rajendran.

Chief Secretary K.R. Jyothilal delivered the welcome address, and NORKA Secretary S. Harikishore offered the vote of thanks.