Kerala - Pathanamthitta   

Minister to hold meet on hill highway project

PATHANAMTHITTA: A four-member team of the Communist Party of India (CPI) led by Kerafed chairman M. Sukumara Pillai called on Forest Minister Benoy Viswom recently to seek his intervention in clearing hurdles in the way of the proposed Achencoil-Sabarimala hill highway project.

Besides Mr. Pillai, the four-member CPI team comprised K. Somarajan, M.V. Vidyadharan and Manoj Charalel, all party district secretariat members.

They alleged that the objections raised by environmentalists against the road project had no basis as the Union Ministry of Forests and Environment had accorded clearance for the project, after studying various technical reports submitted by the Forest Department.

In a statement issued here on Friday, Mr. Somarajan said the CPI team had apprised the Minister about the significance of the proposed hill highway. He said the Minister would convene a meeting of people’s representatives, Forest officials and eco-group leaders in Thiruvananthapuram on July 22 to sort out the issue.

Mr. Somarajan said the Minister had assured the team that the government would provide all support for implementing the hill highway project in a time-bound manner.

The proposed hill highway envisages development of the existing roads from Achencoil to Chittar. This includes development of forest roads along 35 km situated in the forest divisions of Achencoil, Konni and Ranni.

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