There is only 10,000 km of road in Cherrapunji, says minister Mohammad Riyas; criticised PWD after speaking to minister, says Jayasurya

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Responding to the criticism made by actor Jayasurya over the poor condition of the roads in the state, Public Works Department Minister Mohammad Riyas said that the government has accepted the actor's criticism positively. However, the minister pointed out that there were only 10,000 km of road in Cherrapunji, while there were over 3.5 lakh km of roads in Kerala.

According to the minister, frequent rains were hampering the works of the PWD. The government is trying to find a solution for this. Responsibility for road maintenance lies with the contractor. The minister said that the contractors should carry out repair works during the maintenance period and that it should be ensured by the officials. He also said that Jayasuriya spoke in praise of the department for the majority part of his speech.

Jayasurya criticized PWD while speaking at the inaugural function of the project on public display of the maintenance period of the PWD roads. "People do not need to know that rain is a hindrance for repair works. If rain is the excuse for the pathetic condition of roads, there would have been no roads in Cherrapunji. Who will answer if a person falls on the road and dies? People, who are paying road tax, deserve good roads," he said.

With the issue becoming a hot topic of discussion, Jayasurya took it to his Facebook page to clarify his stance. 'I attended the event at the invitation of the minister. While having breakfast together, I had informed the minister that I would tell the audience what I felt inside,' he wrote.