'Determined Chief Minister who has overcome all obstacles': Thamarassery Bishop praises Pinarayi Vijayan

KALPETTA: Thamarassery Bishop Mar Remigiose Inchananiyil said that Pinarayi Vijayan is a determined Chief Minister. The Thamarassery Bishop's response was in the backdrop to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's inauguration of the Wayanad Tunnel, which paves the way for comprehensive development and travel for the hilly people.

The Bishop also clarified that the Chief Minister has overcome all obstacles to the tunnel. "The pseudo-environmentalists are opposing the project. They have approached the court. We will fight against them together," the Bishop added. He was speaking in his welcome speech at the inauguration of the Anakkampoyil-Kalladi-Meppadi Twin Tunnel.

The Chief Minister said while inaugurating the Wayanad tunnel project that it would be a boost to development. "The government will implement what was thought to be impossible. There were unfortunate experiences with the Centre regarding the construction of the path. The Centre denied the eligibility to take a loan. The government has overcome all obstacles," the Chief Minister said.

The Anakkampoyil-Kalladi-Meppadi tunnel road will be completed in four years. It is a twin-tunnel road of 8.11 km. Including the approach road, it is 8.73 km. 5.58 km of the road is in Wayanad and 3.15 km in Kozhikode district. The project includes two major bridges and three smaller ones across the Iruvazhinji River. About 33 hectares of land, including forest area, will be acquired. Final clearance from the Ministry of Environment was granted on June 18. The tunnel will connect with the Meppadi–Chooralmala road in Wayanad and the Muthappanpuzha–Anakkampoyil road in Kozhikode.

The contract has been awarded to Dilip Buildcon (Bhopal) and Royal Infrastructure (Kolkata). The Public Works Department will oversee the work, funded through KIIFB. The project is expected to be a major relief for travellers, especially since landslides often disrupt traffic on the Thamarassery Ghat Road.