Kerala Minister directs NH-66 work to be completed on time

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 8 Kerala Public Works Minister P.A. Mohammed Riyas, on Friday, directed that the ongoing works on National Highway-66 in the state must be completed within the stipulated timeframe, without compromising on quality standards, government officials said.

The directive was issued to National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials during a high-level review meeting on the progress of NH-66 projects across all stretches of the highway.

According to NHAI, 70 per cent of the work has been completed, and more than 400 km has already been converted into six lanes.

The Minister stressed that a clear timeline must be fixed for each stretch and adhered to strictly.

"In areas where the expected pace of work has not been achieved, the NHAI Regional Officer must give special attention and take urgent measures. Even during the monsoon, tasks such as precasting can be carried out, and such works must be completed without delay," said Riyas, who is also the son-in-law of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

The NH-66 project has been under scrutiny since May this year, when stretches of the under-construction highway collapsed in three districts.

Both Riyas and CM Vijayan faced criticism, notably from the Congress General Secretary and Alappuzha MP K.C. Venugopal, who chairs the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament.

Venugopal accused Vijayan of claiming credit for the project until its collapse and then avoiding a site visit despite being in Malappuram for two days at the time.

In June, in an effort to control the political damage, Vijayan and Riyas rushed to Delhi and secured an assurance from Union Minister Nitin Gadkari that the damaged stretches would be rebuilt and the entire project would be completed on time -- to be handed over as a "New Year gift" for Kerala.

Friday's review meeting focused on meeting the looming deadline, now less than five months away.

Riyas assured full state government support for timely completion and instructed officials to ensure that all service roads and existing routes in work zones remain fully motorable at all times.

He warned that any negligence in this regard would not be tolerated.

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