THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The ongoing verbal battle between Public Works Minister PA Mohamed Riyas and Opposition Leader VD Satheesan over the poor condition of the roads in the state worsened on Monday.Satheesan stated earlier in the day that the minister was the only person who had failed to notice the potholes on roads that have become a death trap.
“This time, the road’s potholes were covered extensively in the media, but the minister is not aware of these. Riyas is inexperienced. He ought to go and consult his predecessor G Sudhakaran for advice,” said Satheesan. The minister won’t benefit by his public relations efforts or verbal commitments, Satheesan added.
Reacting sharply, Riyas said the opposition leader speaks like an advocate for the Centre. When it come to criticising the state government on the potholes on NHs, BJP leader M T Ramesh, who had also blamed Riyas, and the opposition leader have the same stand, according to him.
To Satheesan’s allegation, Riyas said the government had completed all pre-monsoon activities.
“What the opposition leader has said is baseless. He is making unnecessary criticism. He has raised some isolated incidents. Even in his own Paravoor constituency, the PWD has successfully completed pre-monsoon activities and repaired all roads.As far as Ernakulam district is concerned, there was some delay in repairing the road in Thrikkakara constituency since the assembly by-election date was announced. However, we started the repair and pre-monsoon activities immediately after the election code of conduct ended,” Riyas said in a press conference.
On Sunday, Riyas had said the Centre was primarily responsible for the maintenance of national highways in the state. He had also slammed Satheesan for making disparaging remarks about him in the aftermath of the death of a motorist, Hashim, who fell in a pothole on NH 544 at Nedumbassery in Ernakulam. Riyas had said that the Opposition leader’s stance on the accident was inappropriate from a political standpoint.
Earlier, Satheesan had flayed the minister for blaming the NHAI for Hashim’s death, saying Riyas was trying to hide the mismanagement by his own department in filling potholes.