Worst progress in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam region; Another two years of suffering?

The construction of 480 km of National Highway 66 is expected to be completed in December. Out of the total length of 642 km, the remaining 82 km will be completed by next March. There is no clarity on the remaining 80 km. Meanwhile, the construction of the National Highway in the southern parts is at a slow pace. The locals in the area where the construction is lagging are bearing the brunt of the impasse.

A meeting was held on Friday under the leadership of the Chief Minister to assess the progress of the works. In this meeting, criticism was raised over the construction lagging in the Thiruvananthapuram, Vadakara and Thuravoor sections.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan asked the National Highways authorities in a meeting to take strict action against contractors who are lagging in work. The Chief Minister directed that an underpass be constructed in Nadal, Kannur, so that buses can pass through it. Any technical snag in the construction works will take days to get resolved, which is holding back the completion of the project.

The Chief Minister has instructed the Collector and the Police Chief of the respective places to intervene promptly and resolve such problems without delay.

In some areas, the contractors are slowing down work for no real reason. The National Highway Authority are showing laxity in taking these people to task. The only time NHAI acted against such inept people was during the protest by people after the national highway collapsed in some places in the northern regions. If all 560 km of the 642 km long National Highway in seventeen stretches is completed by next March, the road can be opened for commuters during this tenure of this government.

The worst progress is in the Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam regions. In Kollam, 24 km out of 56 km has been completed, and in Thiruvananthapuram, only five km out of 30 km. The journey from Thiruvananthapuram to Kollam through the NH roads has turned into a nightmare for people.

It was decided in the meeting to prepare and implement an action plan to speed up the construction. An action plan alone would not solve the crisis. It should be reviewed every month. If for any flub in this plan, the National Highway construction will drag on for another two years in Kerala.