The Public Works Department (PWD) has thrown open the newly constructed culvert on the Kuttoor-Manackachira road for vehicular traffic on Sunday.
However, the road development work was stopped abruptly a month ago owing to the inordinate delay in shifting a few electric posts from the middle of the road to the wayside, despite the decision taken in this regard at a meeting convened by Electricity Minister M.M. Mani earlier.
The local MLA, Mathew T. Thomas, told The Hindu that he had already taken up the matter with the KSEB higher-ups against the backdrop of the lackadaisical and irresponsible act of the authorities concerned in complying with the directions issued even by the Electricity Minister.
Mr. Thomas said the government had launched the work on the Kuttoor-Manackachira-Kizhakkan Muthoor-Muthoor Link Road development project, funded by the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB), 16 months ago with a gestation period of 18 months that ends in May.
The MLA said the local people had voluntarily surrendered the land required for widening the road to 10 m. The disruption of the road development work owing to the delay on the part of a government agency in shifting a few electric posts could never be justified, he said.
He said the government departments and agencies should work in unison to ensure time-bound completion of various development projects launched by the State.
The Changanacherry-based Palathra Constructions that has undertaken the ₹26.8-crore project has already completed almost 85% of the road work on the 8-km Kuttoor-Kizhakkan Muthoor stretch.
The raising and resurfacing of the road could be completed in two weeks, once KSEB shifted the electric posts.
The MLA has called upon the KSEB and PWD officials concerned to sort out the issues, if any, over shifting of the posts and facilitate a conducive atmosphere for completing the road development project as scheduled.
Canal shutters
Kuttoor grama panchayat president Sreelekha Reghunath has called upon the irrigation wing of the Water Resources Department to take immediate steps to install steel shutters on the riverside portion of the culvert for regulating the flow of water through the canal that connects the Manimala river with the Madhurampuzha wetland.
Villagers’ worry is that the new culvert sans shutters for regulating the canal water flow will leave the region highly vulnerable to more aggressive floods during the monsoon.
