The State will approach the Centre seeking exemption from toll for the 13.14-km Kollam bypass, which is to be dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 15.
The ownership of the bypass executed by the National Highway wing of the State Public Works Department on cost-sharing basis will wrest with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and maintenance of the bypass corridor with the PWD.
“Kerala is opposed to collection of toll and will write to Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari seeking exemption from the toll,” Minister for Public Works G. Sudhakaran said here on Wednesday.
All work except the lighting on the corridor was over. “We were expecting the completion report from the Chief Engineer PWD, NH, by the end of the month and had planned for commissioning by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on February 2.” The Minister said the Prime Minister would dedicate the bypass at a function at 5.50 p.m. and the government had received official confirmation. The venue of the 30-minute function would be decided after a meeting to be attended by the Chief Secretary, State Police Chief, Principal Secretary, PWD, and officials of MoRTH and the SPG here on Thursday.
Political controversy
“It is a major construction work of the State as part of Rebuilding Kerala and it should not be mired in political controversy,” Mr. Sudhakaran said.
“When we came to power in 2016 we found that only 30% of the work was completed in three years and with that pace it would have been completed only in 2023. We took up the project kicked off by the UDF government, completed the 43 spans of three bridges and the project is ready for commissioning,” Mr. Sudhakaran said.
The State had to bear ₹176 crore of the estimated ₹352 crore for the bypass and had to give another ₹58 crore.
Coming down heavily on N.K. Premachandran MP, the Minister asked how could an MP declare the inauguration of a State-funded project. “We wanted confirmation about the Prime Minister’s visit and had waited for it. The MP should have followed the protocol. Perhaps, the PMO might have informed him as he represents Kollam in the Lok Sabha. He has committed a tactical blunder. The MP should have congratulated me for completing the bypass before the Lok Sabha polls,” he said.
