Thiruvananthapuram |The opposition Congress-led UDF on Friday criticised the Left government in the Kerala assembly over the poor condition of roads in the state and staged a walkout.
State PWD Minister P A Mohammed Riyas took a swipe at the UDF, saying if it was in power then the state would be like Bihar, where a spate of bridge collapses were reported in the last two weeks.
The Palarivattom flyover in Kochi, considered a boon to ease severe traffic snarls there, had to be closed for traffic in 2019, within three years of its commissioning after damages like potholes were noticed, he pointed out.
The UDF opposition raised the issue of road conditions in its motion seeking adjournment of the House to discuss the matter.
Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader and Perinthalmanna MLA Najeeb Kanthapuram moved the notice for adjournment saying that the people of the state were suffering due to bad roads and plying on them was like an adventure ride.
"In my constituency, a woman suffered abortion due to the bad roads," Kanthapuram claimed.
Replying to Kanthapuram's claims, Riyas admitted that the condition of some roads was bad and attributed it to maintenance work, utility works and even in some places, court-monitored works.
"At least 90 per cent of roads in the state are motorable. However, out of the 2.35 lakh roads in the state, 29,522 km come under the PWD while the remaining 1.96 lakh km roads come under the local self-government bodies," Riyas added.
He mocked at the opposition by referring to Palarivattom flyover, which was constructed during the previous UDF regime and was rebuilt by the Left government after the intervention of the Kerala High Court in 2016.
"If it was the UDF ruling the state now, then there would have been a tough competition with Bihar like a T20 match. Now that's not happening here because of the stern stand adopted by the Left government. Today, we have ensured transparency and we will ensure pothole-free Kerala," Riyas said.
The minister termed as 'baseless' the lack of coordination between the govrenment departments as alleged by the opposition.
"We don't want the people to suffer due to the work. Alternative routes should be made available in case of repair work be carried out and I have given direction to the contractors in this regard," Riyas said.
Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan said of late, Kerala's roads have been in the worst ever condition.
The senior Congress leader said a time-bound completion of road related works was not happening anywhere in the state due shortage of funds.
"The contractors are complaining of arrears from various government departments. The minister was talking about coordination between the departments. But once the PWD completes the work, the water authority or the KSEB or some other department comes and digs up the road for their purposes," Satheesan said.
The LoP also requested the state government to provide alternative roads in places where the NH66 work was progressing.
"Are you asking the people to suffer until the NH works are over?" Satheesan asked.
Riyas added that currently the running contract system was being implemented in order to ensure transparency in road construction.
In view of the stand taken by Riyas, Speaker A N Shamseer denied permission to adjourn the House, following which the opposition staged a walkout.
