Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday called the Central government’s move to defer national highway development work in the state as “politically motivated”, and maintained that the work has been stalled after the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) suspended land acquisition process in the state.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday called the Central government’s move to defer national highway development work in the state as “politically motivated”, and maintained that the work has been stalled after the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) suspended land acquisition process in the state.
Addressing the media, Vijayan said, “The state government has been going ahead with steps for highway development. The notification for land acquisition has been completed 100 per cent in Kasaragod, Kannur and Kozhikode districts, and 60 per cent in other districts up to Ernakulam; and 40 per cent in the rest of the state.”
However, he said the NHAI, “as part of its policy guideline issued on April 15, has categorised highway projects into high priority-1 and high priority-2”.
Vijayan said, “The NHAI has directed all regional offices to suspend land acquisition process of all projects which come under priority-2 category. This amounts to preventing highway development (work) in Kerala.”
Vijayan said states which have BJP governments have been included in the high priority-1 list for highway development, while states governed by opposition parties have been listed in the second list. This is unprecedented and against the federal system envisaged in the Constitution, he maintained.
He said the decision will stall national highway development in Kerala for the next two years, which means the work will be prevented during the tenure of the CPI(M)-led LDF government. If land acquisition is delayed for the next two years, land value will go up further, making acquisition costly, he pointed out.
The Centre was already against highway development in Kerala, citing the high land value in the state, he said.
Vijayan alleged that BJP state president P S Sreedharan Pillai had written to union minister Nitin Gadkari last year, demanding that the notification for land acquisition be suspended. Pillai had “clandestinely” written to Gadkari instead of presenting his views before the state government, Vijayan alleged.
Pillai had forwarded a representation from the national highway action council, which wanted suspension of land acquisition on a short stretch in Ernakulam district citing last year’s flood. The letter was sent to Gadkari in September 2018.
Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac had released this letter recently and claimed that Pillai had written to the Centre to suspend highway development in the state.
Referring to Pillai’s letter, Vijayan alleged that the BJP has stooped to the level of a party that stands against the interest of the people.
Addressing the media, Vijayan said, “The state government has been going ahead with steps for highway development. The notification for land acquisition has been completed 100 per cent in Kasaragod, Kannur and Kozhikode districts, and 60 per cent in other districts up to Ernakulam; and 40 per cent in the rest of the state.”
However, he said the NHAI, “as part of its policy guideline issued on April 15, has categorised highway projects into high priority-1 and high priority-2”.
Vijayan said, “The NHAI has directed all regional offices to suspend land acquisition process of all projects which come under priority-2 category. This amounts to preventing highway development (work) in Kerala.”
Vijayan said states which have BJP governments have been included in the high priority-1 list for highway development, while states governed by opposition parties have been listed in the second list. This is unprecedented and against the federal system envisaged in the Constitution, he maintained.
He said the decision will stall national highway development in Kerala for the next two years, which means the work will be prevented during the tenure of the CPI(M)-led LDF government. If land acquisition is delayed for the next two years, land value will go up further, making acquisition costly, he pointed out.
The Centre was already against highway development in Kerala, citing the high land value in the state, he said.
Vijayan alleged that BJP state president P S Sreedharan Pillai had written to union minister Nitin Gadkari last year, demanding that the notification for land acquisition be suspended. Pillai had “clandestinely” written to Gadkari instead of presenting his views before the state government, Vijayan alleged.
Pillai had forwarded a representation from the national highway action council, which wanted suspension of land acquisition on a short stretch in Ernakulam district citing last year’s flood. The letter was sent to Gadkari in September 2018.
Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac had released this letter recently and claimed that Pillai had written to the Centre to suspend highway development in the state.
Referring to Pillai’s letter, Vijayan alleged that the BJP has stooped to the level of a party that stands against the interest of the people.