THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that no other state is bearing the amount to acquire land for national highway development. The state has so far spent Rs 5,580 crore on land acquisition, CM said. He said that no one should think that there is a dispute between the Centre and Kerala following Union Minister Nitin Gadkari's statement in Parliament in this regard.

He was speaking after inaugurating the Kazhakoottam elevated highway and Kuthiran Tunnel and laying the foundation stones of thirteen other road development projects along with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. The function was held at Karyavattom Greenfield Stadium.

"Some media persons are misinterpreting the statements that Gadkari made in the Parliament. I have talked things over with Gadkari. Issues will be resolved through discussion. I do not share V Muraleedharan's opinion in this regard. No one will lose their home in the name of development, No one should hope that road development will be in trouble. The general perception that no development will take place in the state has changed. With the implementation of major projects like National Highway Development and GAIL, the people realized that development activities are possible in Kerala. Road and transport development is a triumph of people's willpower as well. When the Left government came to power in 2016, the national highway development was at a standstill. Recognizing that good roads are important for development, the government has taken up the development of national highways as an agenda. Kerala has a high population density. Land acquisition costs are high in a state with high traffic and high land prices. That is why the state decided to bear 25 percent of the cost of land acquisition so that development does not stop. National highway development would not have cost so much if it had been implemented on time in the past. It should be seen as Kerala's mistake. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has a very positive approach towards road development in Kerala. We would like to thank him for that.

The Chief Minister, who said that there will be no hindrance in the acquisition of land for road development in the state, requested the Centre to continue its support.