PWD completes roads to Sabarimala

Kottayam: The development works on the PWD roads leading to Sabarimala have been completed, Public Works Minister Mons Joseph has said.

Speaking to media persons, the Minister said works worth Rs. 18.8 crores were taken up in a time-bound manner with a deadline of November 15. The department has accomplished its mission, he said.

He said the government has finalised the project to bring the Sabarimala roads, mentioned under the High court directives, under the Heavy Maintenance Scheme. This will be a Rs.165 crore project which would be implemented under two phases. The first phase would include 92 km of roads being taken up at a cost of Rs. 52 crore. In the second

phase 182 km road would be brought under heavy maintenance at a cost of Rs.113 crore.

The first phase of the scheme is to be implemented before the onset of the 2009 Sabarimala pilgrim season, Mr. Joseph said and added that one of the major works under the first phase would be the completion of a new bridge in place of the Kanamala Causeway near Erumeli. The under the heavy maintenance scheme the maintenance of the respective roads would be the responsibility of the same agency which takes up the project.

The development works on the Punalur-Thenmala-Aryankavu raod which had been in a dilapidated condition on account of various technical issues, would also be taken up. The Tamil Nadu government has plans to develop their side of the road which leads to Thenkasi and the Kerala government hopes to take up the work in tandem with the TN Government so that the trouble to the public could be minimised, he said.

According to him, a Rs. 250 crore project for construction of overbridges over railway lines in the State is also on the anvil.

Reacting to a question, Mr Joseph said the government did not want to bring politics into the controversy over the Kadappattur bridge near Pala, leading to the Kadappattur Temple. The bridge was not under the PWD, but under the Revenue Department. A meeting of all stake holders including the temple authorities, the MP, MLAs, district panchayat

president and other peoples representatives has been convened at Thiruvananthapuram on November 19 to sort out the technical issues involved in the delay in construction of the approach roads.