Keezhattur: Centre mulls alternative

KANNUR

: In a shot in the arm for Vayalkkilikal, the residents' collective of

Keezhattur

, Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari reportedly promised them that the Centre will explore the possibility of an alternative alignment for the national highway bypass.


A delegation of Vayalkkilikal and a few BJP leaders, including Union minister Alphons Kannanthanam, had met Gadkari in New Delhi on Friday.

Suresh Keezhattur, who is at the forefront of the Vayalkkilikal campaign against the NH bypass through the paddy fields of Keezhattur and Thuruthi in the district, said Gadkari promised to set up a technical committee to explore an alternative. The minister also promised that till the committee submitted its report, the 3D notification issued by the ministry for final land acquisition would be frozen, said Suresh.

Keezhattur: CM slams Centre

Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday said that the central government had budged to the demand of RSS, which is trying to sabotage the development of Kerala. The CM was responding to the decision of the Union ministry for road transport and highways to explore the possibility of alternative alignment for the national highway bypass proposed through Keezhattur in Kannur. He said the Centre was trying to damage the country’s federal system.

Earlier on the day, Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari had promised a delegation of Vayalkkilikal, the collective of the residents of Keezhattur, and also BJP leaders, who met the minister in New Delhi, that the possibility of alternative alignment would be explored.

Vijayan said the Union minister’s meeting with the action committee has set a wrong precedence.

Suresh Keezhattur, who is at the forefront of the campaign by Vayalkkilikal, said the Union minister had promised to set up a technical committee to explore the alternative. “The outcome of the meeting was beyond our expectations,” said Suresh. He met the minister along with other action committee members and BJP leaders, including Union minister Alphons Kannanthanam, Richard Hay, MP, and P K Krishnadas. The minister also promised that till the technical committee submitted its report, the 3D notification issued by the ministry of road transport and highways for final land acquisition would be frozen, Suresh said.

Vijayan, who is in New Delhi, said the decision to hold a meeting with the action committee without informing the state government was a wrong precedent and the intervention came when the project, which was earlier thought impossible, was about to take off. He said Gadkari had evinced interest in the project and promised to take appropriate action. Also, the state government had held discussion with the agitators and an expert committee had found that an alternative was not possible, he said.