Kozhikode: Collector, council on warpath

KOZHIKODE: The lethargy of the state government in acquiring the land for the Mananchira-Vellimadukunnu road development has resulted in recurring accidents on the stretch, allege the action council office-bearers.

The council has been demanding the removal of revenue officials, including district collector N. Prasanth, for 'torpedoing' the development of the road. The office-bearers in a recent communiqué to the collector listed out the failures on his part in executing the developmental works.

"The Rs 10-crore-worth project to develop the Malapparambu junction is yet to materialise. Another connected work pending is the wall construction around the government land identified and the land acquisition proceedings are still going on at a snail's pace," it was pointed out.

Action council president Dr MGS Narayanan said that the action council was expecting a positive attitude from the district collector. "Though we have demanded to the district administration to take over land for expansion at Paroppadi or East Nadakkavu for the Rs 25-crore allotted by the government recently, the collector opted to take over the land at Mavoor road", he said.
"The district administration deliberately prevented the distribution of compensation for those who surrendered land and shops for development of Malapparambu junction," he pointed out.

The recent provocation of the action council is the death of Bhagath Lal, 10, a student who was killed recently in an accident on the stretch. The collector was deliberately scuttling the rehabilitation of the shop owners and labourers and continues to harass the action council leaders in public, say the office-bearers.

The action council demanded immediate demolition of buildings on the acquired land to allow smooth movement of vehicles at Paroppadi and East Nadakkavu.
However collector Prasanth is adamant on his stand saying he is not acting against the interest of public but only checking the misuse of public money for wrong ends.s