The State’s efforts to speed up National Highway development has received a boost with the Union government offering to relax the stipulation that it will permit floating of tenders only if at least 80 per cent of land acquisition is completed.
Union Roads, Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari offered to relax the norm during his talks with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in New Delhi on Saturday. Mr. Vijayan told a news conference in the national capital that the Minister had said that the Centre would give the green signal for commencement of road work once 60 per cent of land acquisition was completed.
The Union Minister had offered to relax the norm considering the peculiar situation in the State. He had also made it clear that funds would not be a constraint for National Highway development, the Chief Minister said.
Team to identify land
Mr. Vijayan, who had also called on Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda said the Minister had promised to send an official delegation to the State to identify the land where the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)-model healthcare institute was to be set up.
Replying to questions, Mr. Vijayan said there was no question of the State permitting Tamil Nadu to raise the height of the Mullaperiyar dam to 152 feet. The State government would take up the issue with the Supreme Court, Mr. Vijayan said.
‘No SNC-Lavalin case’
To another question, the Chief Minister termed a misconception that the SNC-Lavalin case was still pending in courts. The courts had gone into the allegations and rejected all of them and, therefore, the case no longer existed.
The Chief Minister accused the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of being responsible for incidents of political violence in the State. Why was the RSS giving training to kill people? Why do they train their cadres to use arms, he asked and added that the root of the problem was the RSS’s refusal to change its ways.
Mr. Vijayan said the question as to what position CPI(M) veteran V.S. Achuthanandan should be given had not come up for the consideration of the government.
