Govt cancels Reliance Communications permit for cutting roads

KOCHI: The state government has cancelled the permission given to private telecom service provider Reliance Communications for cutting roads in the district to lay cables.   Public works minister G. Sudhakaran said in Kochi that the government decided to cancel the licence as the telecom company is trenching the tarred portion of roads in violation of the agreement made with the state government. “The permission stands cancelled until a new order is issued in this regard,” he said while attending a high level review meeting on PWD projects in Ernakulam.

Hibi Eden, MLA, raised the issue of major roads are being cut for laying the cable of Reliance Jio at the meet. The minister instructed the officials to take immediate steps to repair the dilapidated Petta– Vyttila road and the drain construction along the stretch. He said the Vyttila and Kundanoor flyovers will be realised soon while land has already been acquired for the Atlantis ROB. The minister said that funds for road repairing works will be given in August and no repairing works will be done during the monsoon.

The minister approved the suggestion to include the remaining development work of Seaport- Airport Road among the projects being funded through KIFFB. An official of the Roads and Bridges Corporation, the implementing agency, told the meeting that the first phase of the development of the road has been completed while the second phase from HMT to NAD is progressing.

The minister instructed district collector Muhammad Y. Safirulla to submit a study report when V.K Ebrahim Kunju, MLA, demanded allocation of more funds for the development of the HMT junction. It has also been decided to convene a meeting with Cochin Port Trust authorities to take a decision on land acquisition for proposed ROB at Vathuruthy. MLAs Hibi Eden, P.T. Thomas and K.V. Thomas, MP, urged the minister to take up the construction of underpass at busy Edappally junction.