VS against road works on BOT basis

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Privatisation of roads is the main issue and not the width of National Highway stretches being developed in the State, Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan said here on Wednesday.

He was speaking after launching the widening of the congested 2.73-km Kesavadasapuram-Nalanchira stretch of Main Central Road to four lanes at the Nalanchira Kurisadi junction.

The Chief Minister said people should not suffer when development of highways was taken up. A multi-party delegation from the State had petitioned the Prime Minister to restrict the width to 30 metres and to avoid BOT (built-operate-transfer) works. The State government was awaiting a final reply.

�It is not the width of roads but their privatisation that is the main issue. The BOT concept and the collection of toll from those using the roads are against the interests of people, he said.

The Chief Minister said the State government had given thrust to infrastructure development during the past four years. The Public Works Department was now more efficient and was implementing projects in a time-bound manner. All should cooperate to complete the road projects in a time-bound manner