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One side of Kuthiran Tunnel opens to traffic

AM Abdussalam

THRISSUR: In a surprise move, the Union government opened one of the twin tunnels at Kuthiran on the Thrissur-palakkad National Highway for traffic without inaugural function.

“We will open one side of the Kuthiran Tunnel in Kerala today. This is the first road tunnel in the state and will drastically improve connectivity to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The 1.6km long tunnel is designed through Peechi- Vazahani wildlife sanctuary,” Union Minister for Road Transport Nitin Gadkari tweeted on Saturday.

The move took the state government and the Public Works Department by surprise.

Minister for Public Works PA Mohammed Riyas tried to play down the embarrassment by saying that his government was interested in bringing the fruits of development to the people and inaugural functions do not mater. “We never planned to conduct an inaugural function. That is not important. We will concentrate on bringing the fruits of development to the people,” Riyas told media persons on Saturday.

In fact the state government was kept in the dark about the abrupt decision to open the tunnel for traffic.

Riyas got the information that the tunnel is being opened for traffic on Saturday from the tweet by Gadkari.

Minister Riyas had held number of meetings with officials connected with the contract work to ensure work on the project went on unhindered. “Government plans to open one tunnel of the Kuthiran in Valanchery Mannuthi national highway by 1st of August or in the month of August,” Riyas said in the Assembly last week.

“The issue of Kuthiran tunnel project has become a social problem now. It comes under the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). Kerala government had taken all efforts to complete the project in time. Ater the LDF (Let Democratic Front) government came into power, it was trying to open at least a single tunnel for the people,” he said. Ministers of concerned districts have worked together as a team to complete the work.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also called a meeting and decided to open one tunnel in August.

India

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2021-08-01T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-08-01T07:00:00.0000000Z

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