Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy has said that development of roads would not be possible if toll collection was done away with.
Inaugurating the Keecheri-Valkadavu bridge across the Pampa river in Eramallikkara near here on Sunday afternoon, Mr. Chandy said that toll collection for completed roads was being undertaken in all States of the country. He said that lack of infrastructure was the bane of Kerala. “By infrastructure, we mean roads, railway, electricity and drinking water. If we develop these, investments will come in to our land. It will throw up a window of job opportunities,” he said.
Recently, he had asked two tourists he met on aeroplane about their impression of Kerala, and they appreciated the roads in the State. He said that the Chengannur-Moovattupuzha road had been again undertaken by the World Bank-aided Kerala State Transport Project (KSTP). “If the work under the KSTP gets delayed, the State government will fund the works of Kallissery bridge and Thiruvalla bypass,” he said.
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Minister for Public Works V.K.Ibrahim Kunju, who presided over, said that last year the highest amount allotted to a department was Rs.1200 crore -for the PWD. He also assured that the Kallissery bridge will be taken up by the PWD if there was any hurdle while it was taken up under the KSTP. A total of Rs.13 crore will be allotted for this and the work was expected to be over by one and a half years. Tenders were invited for Madanasserry kadavu bridge and Rs.10 crore has been earmarked for it, he said.
Kodukkunnil Suresh, MP, delivered the key note address. Anto Antony, MP, and MLAs, P.C. Vishnunath and Mathew T. Thomas also spoke. The bridge was built at a total cost of Rs. 3.62 crore.