The Hindu Business Line : Centre sanctions Rs 3,053 cr to develop 3 national highways in Kerala

The Union Minister for Shipping, Mr T.R. Baalu (right), with the Kerala Chief Minister, Mr Oommen Chandy, at a press conference in Kochi on Friday. — K.K. Mustafah

Kochi , Oct. 15

THE Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has sanctioned Rs 3,053 crore for the development of three national highways in Kerala under the National Highways Development Programme (NHDP).

The Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways, Mr T.R. Baalu, said here that the development works of the highways included the converting of two-lane traffic into four-lane traffic in NH-47 stretch between Cherthala and Thiruvananthapuram (174 km) and development works of Edapally and Kozhikode and Kozhikode and Mangalore stretch in NH-17 (470 km).

Altogether 650 km of roads in these highways would be covered under the programme, he said and added that the development of NH-49 of Kochi- Madurai including the bypass links at Tripunithura, Kothamangalam and Muvattupuzha would be covered under the programme. The sanctioned amount, which is subject to the approval of the Union Cabinet, would also cover adequate compensation for land acquisition purpose. However, the Government has not fixed any time limit for acquisition proceedings considering the socio economic issues involved in it, he said.

The Minister, who attended a review meeting of the road projects along with the State Chief Minister, Mr Oommen Chandy, and other senior State Government officials here, said that the road development in the State had received the priority because of the Centre's decision to link seaports and airports in the country under the NHDP. The NH development in Kerala would definitely provide connectivity to four airports and four seaports including the one in Mangalore, he added.

Expressing happiness over the sanctioning of the amount, the Chief Minister said that a special machinery would be set up to reduce the delays in land acquisitions, which often disrupts the development of roads in the State due to pressure on land.

Welcoming the Government's decision, the State PWD Minister, Dr M.K. Muneer said the Centre has given the approval for all the three highways at one stretch covering around 650 km in contrast to the piece meal approach it had been resorting to so far.

The length of national highways in Kerala in 1997 was 1,011 km. During the Ninth Plan, a length of 536 km was added to the NH network and today, the total length of NH in the State is 1,547 km, which is 37.10 km per thousand sq km of land area as against the national average of 19.95 km.

The total funds invested on national highways in the State during the last five years amount to Rs 694 crore.

The total accruals during the last four years under revamped central road fund (CRF) for the State amount to Rs 134.42 crore.

About 13 CRF works covering a length of 222 km costing Rs 82.23 crore have been sanctioned during the last four years.

The total expenditure so far against these sanctioned works is Rs 38.11 crore. An amount of Rs 10.24 crore is available for sanction of new CRF works.