THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Wednesday inaugurated seven city roads developed as part of the Phase-II works of the Thiruvananthapuram City Road Improvement Project (CRIP). He said roads under Phase-II will be completed in a time-bound manner.
“There was a shameful delay in completing the road works in time. This happened mainly because of the hurdles associated with land acquisition. Phase-III works will be completed in time,” said the Chief Minister.
LMS-Overbridge, Attakulangara-Enchakkal, Museum-Nandavanam- Model School, Kowdiar-Ambalamukku- Peroorkada, Vanross-Ottukuzhi-Secretariat, RR Lamp- Students Centre and the new alignment at Shangumugham are the roads developed by the Kerala Road Fund Board. Thiruvananthapuram Road Development Company Limited (TRDCL) is the concessionaire of the project.
The Chief Minister felicitated N S Sreenivasan, former director of NATPAC and head of the committee which reviews CRIP, at the function. Chandy draped Sreenivasan with a shawl.
PWD Minister V K Ebrahim Kunju presided over the function. He said KRFB will carry out similar works in other cities such as Kannur, Malappuram, Thrissur and Kottayam.
Transport Minister V S Sivakumar, who delivered the keynote address, requested the PWD Minister to take up the works of the Karamana-Kaliyikkavila road. “The stretch is of highest importance to Thiruvananthapuram. It is very congested and requires widening,” he added.
Mayor K Chandrika and District Collector K N Satheesh also spoke. PWD Secretary Manoj Joshi welcomed the gathering. KRFB COO P C Harikesh, V Sivankutty MLA, Corporation councillors Palayam Rajan, Suresh Kumar, Gopan, Beemapalli Rashid and Johnson Joseph and project director of TRDCL Anil Kumar Pandala also addressed the function held at VJT Hall.