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Rs. 5,000-crore highway project planned in Kerala

Special Correspondent

T.R. Baalu says Centre has no role in Vizhinjam project

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways T.R. Baalu has said that the Centre will implement a Rs.5,000-crore highway project in Kerala to develop National Highway (NH) 17 for four-lane traffic.

Mr. Baalu told a press conference after reviewing the progress of road and waterway development projects with Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan here on Tuesday that NH-17 had the potential to be developed into a six-lane road but would be, for the time being, developed into a four-lane road. He said the scheme would be included in Phase-III of the National Highways Development Project.

Mr. Baalu said the Centre had nothing to do with the Vizhinjam International Container Transshipment Terminal Project as it was a purely State project. He also pleaded ignorance about the pending security clearance for the project as he was not a member of the Cabinet Committee on Security.

The Minister expressed satisfaction about the discussions he had had with the Chief Minister and said the State Government had promised expeditious action on some long-pending issues pertaining to road development in the State. Mr. Achuthanandan had promised to accord clearance for the new alignment of the railway line linking the Vallarpadam Container Transshipment Terminal. The Centre would grant environmental clearance for the Vallarpadam-Mainland Highway Project next week, he added.

Mr. Baalu said the national waterways project in Kerala would be expedited as desired by the Chief Minister and promised to send the Inland Waterways Authority chairman and a team of officials to Kerala next week to hold further discussions . He said the bidding for the bypasses on NH-47 and NH-17 had been suspended on account of the Assembly elections and would now be revived.

Minister for Public Works P.J. Joseph, Minister for Transport Mathew T. Thomas and senior Central and State officials also attended the meeting.

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