The Nilgiri-Wayanad National Highway and Railway Action Committee has alleged that the State government is trying to scuttle the proposed Nilambur-Nanjangud railway line connecting Kerala and Karnataka
A section of people in Kannur with vested interests was behind the move objecting the proposed multi-crore project which has been conceived for the overall development of Wayanad district, T.M. Rasheed, convener of the committee, said here on Tuesday.
He said that the State government had blatantly ignored the project though the Centre had set aside ₹3,000 crore earlier. At the same time, the government was pushing the proposed Thalassery-Mysuru railway line project.
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Also, Mr. Rasheed said that the government did not take effective steps to withdraw the nine-year-old long ban on night traffic through two national highways that cut through Bandipur Tiger Reserve. The government had not positively responded to the suggestion made by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways that it would share the cost of constructing five overbridges inside the reserve to solve the issue, he said.
The existing restrictions include a ban on traffic through Bandipur Tiger Reserve between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. for a distance of 20 km on NH 212 and for a distance of 13 km on NH 67. The people of Wayanad was disappointed with the attitude of the elected representatives towards the issue, Mr. Rasheed said.