KOCHI: The state government on Friday informed the Kerala High Court that a compensation of Rs 10 lakh will be paid to the family of K L Yedulal who died in a road accident caused by a pothole at Palarivattom here. Besides, the government will provide employment to the brother of Yedulal. When the petition seeking stringent action against the officers responsible for the shocking omission, which claimed the life of Yedulal, came up for hearing, Senior Government Pleader K V Manoj Kumar informed that the Cabinet will take a decision in this regard next week.
Following the unfortunate incident, four engineers had been suspended for their failure to put up warning signals near the trench, the government submitted before the court. Further action against the officials concerned will be taken after getting the report of Ernakulam district collector who ordered a magisterial inquiry into the accident.
Meanwhile, the PWD submitted that it has a 85 km-long road network within the Kochi corporation
limits. A few roads had developed potholes due to heavy traffic while trenching by the Kerala Water Authority(KWA) and Kerala State Electricity Board(KSEB). The repairs on the roads have been nearly completed. All roads except those of 2.5 km length will be made pothole-free by December 31.
However, KWA had asked for permission to continue the utility works on Vyttila- Ponnuruni -Palarivattom Road and Santo Gopalan Road and Vennala-Palachuvadu Road due to KSEB trans-grid works which are in the final stage. The bitumin work proposed by the PWD can be done only by January 2020.