Five of the state highways will be converted into National Highways and the state has already sought the Central Government aid in this regard, said PWD Minister V K Ebrahim Kunju. He was addressing media persons after the PWD monthly review meeting here on Monday. Bodimatt-Kundanoor (168 km), Kollam-Kazhuthuruty (81 km), Kozhikode-Palakkad (126 km), Kozhikode-Muthanga (118 km), Kollam-Thenni ( 191 km) highways will receive the National Highway status. The minister said that the PWD will take up the work of converting these state highways into national-level highways.
“Earlier, we had decided to entrust the NHAI with the project and had also signed an MoU with them. However, the NHAI authorities had said that they would need to acquire at least 45 meters if they needed to convert the state highways into National Highways,” he said. Since this will bring up a lot of public agitation, the State Government decided to take up the project so that the conversion can take place without any land acquisition. Also, if the NHAI takes up the work, toll will be charged from the public, the Minister said which will only be a greater burden for the public. These state highways will be converted as two-lane NHs, he said.
Meanwhile, the work of widening the NH 17 has already started. “ There are stumbling blocks at Kollam in terms of land acquisition for the widening of the highway. However, we hope to solve the issue soon,” the Minister added. The widening work of NH 17 is also being taken up, he said.
Asked whether the DMRC will keep out of implementing the monorail projects at T’Puram and Kozhikode, since they have declared that they will only implement Delhi-based projects, he said that DMRC will not be backing out since already a contract has been signed. “ An MoU has already been signed in the presence of E Sreedharan, DMRC officials and the state government officials. Hence, the project will be implemented by them,” he said. The Minister announced that Madhavan Pillai has been appointed as general manager of the Monorail Committee whereas Shivadutt and Anand Elammana has been appointed chief engineers of the T’Puram and Kozhikode monorail projects.
