THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government has given all assistance to the Centre for the smooth implementation of the National Highway (NH) projects in the state, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in the assembly on Monday. Though there were hurdles earlier, people are now cooperating with the NH development. However, the government will convene special meetings to allay people’s fears about the construction of underpasses and overpasses in certain regions, said Pinarayi.
“When the NH roads are being developed in world-class standards in other states, the condition of the highway here is equivalent to that of the panchayat roads. We approached the Union government in 2016 to address this issue. The reply we got was that the land in Kerala is very expensive and the state should provide it. The government then informed the Centre that it was not possible.
The dispute dragged on, and finally, as a settlement, it was decided to acquire land spending 25% from the state revenue and 75% from the Centre. Only later the state government came to know that this 25% was a penalty for the delay in the works. The development of the highway is not a freebie, it is the state’s right,” the CM said.
Pinarayi said the land acquisition procedures for the development of the NH in the state are in progress. “Every month, the revenue secretary and the PWD secretary review the work with the district collector concerned. Even the Congress and the BJP workers are cooperating with the government to implement the projects,” he said.
The chief minister added that the Outer Ring Road project in the state capital is getting good support from the Centre. “The project will boost the industrial growth in the state. The land acquisition for the project will be carried out through a pooling method,” Pinarayi said.
CM SLAMS PROTESTS AGAINST WASTE PLANTS
T’PURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday criticised the mass protests against waste treatment plants in the state. During the question and answer session, he said the way people of a particular area decide there is no need for a plant is unacceptable. “If it goes like this, where will the garbage be buried?.” the CM said. However, he said, if there are any scientific flaws in the plans for waste treatment projects, they should be rectified.
Plan to increase space of ration shops mooted
T’Puram: The state has mooted a special project to increase the space of ration shops in the state, Food and Civil Supplies Minister G R Anil told the Assembly. “There are 3,330 ration shops in the state which operate on a limited space. Under the new scheme, the ration traders will be allowed loans of up to Rs 2 lakh at a low-interest rate to expand the shops to a minimum area of 300 sq ft,” said the minister.