The Kerala state government has decided to appoint geotechnical experts to examine issues related to the construction of national highways across the state and recommend appropriate remedial measures. Public Works Minister P K Basheer stated that the decision was taken in response to recent technical issues reported at various stretches of National Highway 66 (NH 66) and concerns raised by the public.
High-Level Meeting with NHAI
The decision was made during a high-level meeting held with officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday. During the meeting, NHAI informed the minister that eight geotechnical agencies have already been appointed to study technical issues along different stretches of NH 66.
Expert Oversight
The minister said investigations will be led by technical experts G V Rao of IIT Delhi and T K Subhash of IIT Palakkad, who will oversee studies being conducted by the agencies and suggest appropriate engineering solutions.
Progress of NH 66 Construction
The meeting reviewed the progress of NH 66 construction and noted that 519 kilometers, or 81 percent, of the project's total 642-kilometer length in the state has been completed. The minister directed officials to complete the remaining works within a year.
Additional NH Projects
Basheer also stated that the state government would soon hold discussions with the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways to seek approval for additional national highway projects in Kerala.
Land Acquisition Measures
To expedite decisions on pending land acquisition cases related to highway projects, the minister said full-time special teams would be constituted under the supervision of district collectors in every district.
Attendees
The meeting was attended by NHAI Regional Officer Colonel A K Janbaz, Public Works Department Secretary Adeela Abdullah, Additional Secretary V R Vinod, district collectors, NHAI project directors, chief engineer, and other senior officials.
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