Land acquisition for NH widening to begin soon

Alappuzha: The revenue department will soon begin land acquisition procedures to widen the 83-km stretch (Cherthala to Oachira) of the national highway (NH) 66. As part of this, the NH widening office of the revenue department will resume its functioning at the collectorate here on Monday.
The district administration has completed all arrangements to open the new office at the third floor of the collectorate.The project office which had functioned in a rented building became defunct following fund shortage in April this year. The government also failed to give any directives in connection with the land acquisition.
Earlier, the office's land phone connection and power supply were disconnected as authorities failed to pay dues.
"Now, the state government has ensured adequate funds for the functioning of our office and the district administration has allotted space at collectorate. Our office's head is deputy collector. But that post was defunct for the past one year. Now, the government has appointed a deputy collector. From Monday, we will start the procedures for land acquisition works,'' said an officer associated with the widening office.
The office has 52 employees. The district administration on October 9 last year had decided to start land acquisition works for widening the Alappuzha stretch of NH to 45 metre from the current 16 metre.
The 620-km-long NH66 connects Salem and Kanyakumari and covers two states -- Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The 83-km (Cherthala to Oachira) of the NH in Alappuzha remains as two-lane and the NH's stretch from Cherthala to Aroor is four-lane.
If the 83-km NH is converted into four-lane, traffic block and accidents will come down in Alappuzha.