ALAPPUZHA: A new controversy has erupted in the Alappuzha unit of the CPM after party MP AM Ariff submitted a letter to Works Minister P A Mohamed Riyas urging him to probe the alleged corruption in the repair work of the NH 66 stretch from Aroor to Cherthala in 2019. G Sudhakaran was the works minister at the time of the repair work.
Meanwhile, Riyas has sought a report from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on the matter. The minister had already received several complaints regarding the poor quality of the road. Recently, Riyas had taken up the matter with Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari while both were discussing about NH development.
The repair work was carried out by spending `36 crore by the NHAI and the state government supervised the work.The MP’s letter attains significance at a time when the inquiry commission formed by the CPM to probe the alleged lapses on the part of Sudhakaran in the recently held assembly poll campaign is to submit its report.
In the letter, the MP pointed out that potholes have appeared on the road which was constructed in 2019 using German technology with a three-year guarantee. The supporters of Sudhakaran believe it as a move by his detractors to sideline him further in the party. However, Ariff said he never had such a thought in his mind. As the work was awarded to the contractor with a three-year maintenance guarantee, the letter was intended to get the road repaired before the maintenance period gets over.