THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Centre is primarily responsible for the maintenance of national highways in the state, PWD Minister P A Mohamed Riyas has said. Addressing mediapersons in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, Riyas also lashed out at Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan, for the remarks against him.
“There are some restrictions on the state government’s ability to get involved in the upkeep of these roads. The state has 548km of national highways in all. The Opposition leader’s stance on the accident in Nedumbassery is inappropriate from a political standpoint,” Riyas said. Pointing out that the government has provided factual information, he said the Opposition leader changes his statements frequently.
“Hence, I am unable to refute his claims,” Riyas said.
The PWD minister noted that no road should have potholes, regardless of whose department owns it.
“We cannot remain silent bystanders, despite the fact that there have been potholes on the roads ever since the Kerala state was founded,” he said.
Riyas said that after the publication of the defect liability period (DLP) board, the condition of public roads has improved. He also refuted the Opposition leader’s allegation that pre-monsoon activities on the roads were not performed, saying the state government has completed pre-monsoon work at a cost of Rs 328.16 crore with work done like never before.
He said Ramesh Chennithala did not take the stand taken by Satheesan in an accident at Haripad near Kayamkulam. “Chennithala stood with the government on that day, realising that the National Highways Authority was responsible. There is no use in fighting each other. So don’t try to take political advantage of the accident,” Riyas added.
Earlier, Satheesan had come out against the minister who blamed the NHAI for the death of a man who was run over by a lorry after his bike hit a pothole in Nedumbassery. Satheesan accused Riyas of trying to hide the mismanagement in his own department in filling the potholes.
“Whether it is a pothole under Centre or state, it is human beings who die. The PWD has a chief engineer and officers for the NH section. The state government too is responsible for the road issue,” Satheesan said. The Opposition leader had also demanded that the toll collection on the potholed road be stopped.