Latest news with #NationalHighway-66
The Hindu
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
CPI(M) alleges corruption and preferential treatment in award of NH-66 work
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] State secretariat has flagged alleged big-ticket corruption and preferential treatment in the award of contracts for National Highway-66 construction work in Kerala. CPI(M) State secretary M.V. Govindan told a press conference that contractors involved in NH-66 construction in Kerala had executed electoral bonds estimated at ₹980 crore in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for official patronage in the award of Central works. He noted that in 2023, the BJP had accused the construction firm responsible for the collapse of an elevated section of the under-construction NH-66 in Malappuram district on May 19 of astronomical corruption, pegged at ₹38,000 crore, in executing the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project in Telangana. He said the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government had surmounted several political and administrative impediments, including impossible conditions set by the Central government, to make NH-66, a project abandoned by the Oommen Chandy government, a reality. Mr. Govindan said the Centre made an unusual demand that Kerala pay for the land acquisition, prompting the State to raise ₹6,000 crore via the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board as compensation to landowners. The CPI(M) lauded Union Minister for Road and Highways Nitin Gadkari for blacklisting the errant construction company and taking proactive steps to expedite the rectification works. He said the Congress leadership attempted to blame the NH-66 collapse on the LDF despite the government having no role in the work execution. Mr. Govindan said the Congress' opposition to the LDF lacked political or policy content and was patently hollow and catalysed by pure political spite and envy for the State government's nine years of people-centric good governance. 'The Congress has recurrently attempted to derail Kerala's development. It made the anti-development campaign a political programme after the LDF stormed back to power for a second consecutive term on a development and welfare platform in 2021. The United Democratic Front then realised that rhetoric, hyperbole, muckraking, and grandstanding do not win elections. But development, welfare, and public service delivery do,' he said. Mr. Govindan said neither the elections, politics, nor policy animated the Congress as much as infighting for the prospective Chief Ministership did. 'K Sudhakaran, K. Muraleedharan, V.D. Satheesan, Shashi Tharoor, and Ramesh Chennithala have thrown their hat into the ring. Other dark horses might enter the ruthless rat race for the elusive title,' he said.
India Today
22-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
No flexes now: Kerala Congress leader slams state, Centre over highway collapse
Kerala Leader of Opposition and Congress legislator VD Satheesan condemned both the Pinarayi Vijayan-led state government and the Centre following Monday's collapse of an under-construction highway in Malappuram district. 'Nobody wants to install flex boards and take credit now,' Satheesan said, referring to the earlier publicity blitz celebrating the project. 'What the government is promoting the most on the eve of its fourth anniversary is that they fulfilled the national highway project. But who is really responsible for the collapse — the Chief Minister, the state government or the central government?'advertisementSatheesan alleged widespread irregularities in the construction of the highway, calling it 'unscientific' and accusing the state government of rushing the project for electoral gains. 'The state government has no coordination with the National Highways Authority. Drinking water supply lines have been broken. There are not even underpasses in many places. If the rains start, lives will be at risk,' he added, demanding six-lane National Highway-66 which is being built collapsed near Kooriyad in Tirurangadi on Monday, raising serious concerns over construction quality and public safety. The protective wall of the elevated highway crumbled onto a car on the service road near the Kooriyad service station. Fortunately, no casualties were reported. The collapse, which occurred along the Kozhikode –Thrissur stretch, prompted a swift diversion of traffic in the area. advertisementHowever, this was not an isolated incident. Cracks have been reported in Chavakkad, Thrissur, while fresh damages surfaced in Kuppam, Kannur — indicating broader structural issues in the ongoing highway construction National Highway 66 project is one of the flagship infrastructure initiatives under the Vijayan government, which has spent nearly Rs 5,000 crore on land acquisition alone, given the high real estate costs in the however, credited the project's land acquisition success to the UPA-era Right to Fair Compensation Act, arguing that the current government is merely 'showing off' due to a lack of real Indian Union Muslim League MP ET Muhammad Basheer stated that Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari had assured him that appropriate action would be taken.
The Hindu
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Failures overshadow govt.'s anniversary fete, says Satheesan
Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan has ridiculed the State government's fourth anniversary celebrations, pointing to the collapse of the work-in-progress National Highway-66 at Kooriyad, deaths of people in wild animal attacks and the police brutality against a Dalit woman in Thiruvananthapuram as stark reminders of the government's failures. Mr. Satheesan slammed the government for playing 'claim and abdicate' role on the National Highway project. 'This government was taking credit when things were going right, but dodging responsibility when they go wrong. The highway collapse at Kooriyad is the finest example,' he said. Where are the highway heroes now, he asked. He claimed that the National Highway construction in the State was marked by a lack of accountability and poor coordination with the authorities. 'The State government cannot shirk its responsibility,' he said here on Tuesday. Mr. Satheesan said that the State government was turning a blind eye on wildlife-related issues. 'It is evident from the recent incident at Uppukulam in Palakkad, where a wild elephant trampled a man to death,' he said. 'Elephant attacks and tiger mauling are old news now. The government is leaving the people living in the hills to fend for themselves,' he said. According to Mr. Satheesan, the ordeal faced by a Dalit woman in Thiruvananthapuram wass another hallmark of the government. He said it was in continuation of the same attitude that led to the police and forest department's action against rapper Vedan. The Opposition leader alleged that the government was showing double standards when it came to disbursing funds to ordinary people and splurging lakhs of rupees on public relations agencies for pomp and show. Mr. Satheesan criticised the government and the CPI(M) for mocking workers who fight for their rights while millions were owed to contract and cooking workers.
