THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is hoping to start the work on the national highway expansion this fiscal year itself. PWD Minister G. Sudhakaran and his team of PWD NH officials have already submitted a number of recommendations to the parliamentary standing committee on NH expansion which visited Kochi last week. Both the CM and the PWD minister want to complete land acquisition without much hazzle. Almost 80 percent of land acquisition has been completed in Kasargod, Kannur and Kozhikode.
“We have already submitted the NH expansion proposal before the appraisal committee of the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways and are awaiting their nod. The PWD minister had asked the Kasargod collector to expedite the land acquisition process at a recent review meeting,” said a top NH official. The expansion work in Kasargod, Kannur and Kozhikode will be started this year. However, there are some issues in Malappuram, Thrissur and Ernakulam districts. Boundary stones have been identified in several areas in these districts, but the notice for eviction is yet to be given to the land owners. “The district collectors are burdened with other responsibilities too. So land acquisition has lagged in some districts despite the National Highway Authority of India giving more than 2.7 percent than the market price,” said a PWD ministry official.
