THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Despite Works Minister G Sudhakaran’s undertaking to the residents at Kazhakoottam here on steps to resolve the National Highway (NH) alignment issue by realigning the stretch, the National Highways Authority of India(NHAI) is pressing ahead with the work on demarcating the stretch without caring a fig for the minister’s word.
The NHAI’s unilateralism, with sources indicating the work in this regard is scheduled to get under way on Friday, has not gone down well with the people.They are also cut up with the authority’s failure to serve a registered to intimate the public of the demarcation work. Express had earlier reported on the plight of the several hundred people living on the eastern side of the NH at Kazhakoottam where the NHAI has decided to acquire more land compared to the western side. According to Praveen Sakalya, a resident, the government has betrayed the people.
“Two weeks ago, the minister assured us the stretch will be realigned as per our demand. But the NHAI was in no mood to heed the minister’s words. When we approached the NHAI brass, they said the government is playing to the gallery. They also informed us if the stretch is realigned, then it will take at least three years to commence the work. So the minister’s words were evidently ignored by NHAI,” said Praveen. He said the NHAI had not shown even the basic courtesy to inform them of the demarcation and the elected representatives from Kazhakoottam are suspected to be behind the move to protect the ‘big shots’ living on the western side of the road.
People say the land is being acquired largely on the eastern side of the highway, protecting the interests of the alleged land mafia on the western side of the road. They said the issue began when the NHAI came up with a new alignment plan in which the midpoint of the road had been found shifted towards the eastern side. The location is from the side of Hotel Al-Saj in Kazhakoottam to the junction where the highway intersects the newly widened NH bypass.
A top NHAI officer told Express they had not been about the realignment of the stretch by the state government and they will start the proceedings to demarcate the stretch on Friday. “ We are not aware of the minister’s promise to the people. So we are going on with the demarcation from Friday. At the same time, we not favouring any individual or any section of people.We are giving equal consideration to all,” he said.
The initial plan was to acquire land equally from the midpoint of the road as per the decision taken by the-then government in 2012. But the current government has allegedly done an injustice by taking a big chunk of land at the eastern side where the common people have been residing for the last several years.