Minister for Public Works and Tourism P.A. Mohamed Riyas has said he will personally address monsoon-related complaints at the PWD control room once in a week.
Addressing a meet-the-press event at the Calicut Press Club on Saturday, he said priority would be given for the pre-monsoon maintenance works of roads. The control room system would be made more effective. Potholes would be filled soon. The web application to directly contact the Public Works Department would be active from June 7.
Land acquisition for the development of national highways would be expedited. Meetings of landowners would be convened to sort out objections. Construction of 13 reaches of the proposed hill highway would be completed soon. The Wayanad tunnel road too would get priority and ₹40,000 crore would be spent on the project.
New bridges and roads worth ₹20,000 crore would be approved. The Mananchira-Vellimadukunnu Road in Kozhikode district would be completed on time after clearing hurdles.
Mr. Riyas promised to solve the deadlock over the construction of the Kozhikode Bypass Road. Focus would be given to Mysuru-Wayanad-Kozhikode-Malappuram Road. Work on Azhiyur-Vengalam Road would be completed on time, Mr. Riyas said.
The State government would focus on boosting domestic tourism against the backdrop of the impact of the pandemic on the sector. Responsible tourism initiatives would get priority. Once the second wave of COVID-19 weakens, more projects would be launched. Responsible tourism would bring in more jobs also. The late writer Vaikom Mohammed Basheer would soon get a memorial at Beypore in Kozhikode, where he had settled after marriage. The tourism potential of Kozhikode district would be explored further.
The Kerala Tourism Development Corporation would improve its facilities for accommodation of tourists. The buildings of Public Works Department would be utilised for the purpose. All the staff in the tourism sector would be vaccinated, Mr. Riyas added.
