Electricity Minister M.M. Mani and Kerala State Electricity Board Chairman N.S.Pillai have directed board officials to shift all electric posts that posed hurdles to the ongoing development work under the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board-funded Kuttoor-Kizhakkan Muthoor road development project.
In a statement here on Wednesday, Mathew T.Thomas, MLA, said that the decision was taken at an official meeting convened by the Minister here on Tuesday.
75% complete
The Public Works Department undertook the road development project 16 months ago and almost 75% of the work has been completed.
However, many electric posts standing on the developed road portion have been posing problems for the contractors to complete the raising and surfacing of the road. The MLA said 480 persons have surrendered the land required for developing the 12-km stretch of the road to national standards. Meanwhile, KIIFB had rejected the estimate of ₹1.14 crore for shifting 12 electric posts, finding it exorbitant, disrupting the roadwork three weeks ago. Shaji Mathew, director of Palathra Constructions Limited that has undertaken the ₹26.8-crore road work, said the KSEB had demanded ₹91,686 for shifting two electric posts, which, he said, has no justification at all.
Remitted later
The MLA had taken up the matter with the Minister and the KSEB Chairman, who, in turn, directed the board officials to shift the posts on an emergency basis, after obtaining an undertaking from the PWD authorities that the cost incurred for the work would be remitted later.
PWD Executive Engineer Anilkumar and Asistant Executive Engineer Subhash said the raising of the road and its resurfacing could be completed in two weeks itself, once the KSEB removed the electric posts from the road portion.
