By IANS
Thiruvananthapuram : Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, Thursday assured people that the roads across the state would be repaired and repaved before Oct 15.
“Before 15th of this month, all the repair work would be undertaken because if there is any more delay then the rains would be back and road repaving work would be impossible,” Achuthanandan told reporters after attending a meeting of top public works department (PWD) officials here.
“An allotment of Rs 3.2 billion has already been allocated. A total of nearly 5400 works for road repairs has been cleared. Of this 1400 works have finished, 2000 works are ongoing and the balance would be taken up and finished before the 15th of this month,” said Achuthanandan.
The chief minister, during Wednesday’s cabinet meeting, had instructed his ministers to supervise the repair works in all of the 14 districts of the state.
The measures have come after large-scale protests by the people over the deteriorating conditions of the roads in the state.
Last week angry protesters held up traffic on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu highway here, after a man, driving a two-wheeler, died when he drove into a pothole and fell.
Several novel ways to protest have also been seen with people planting trees and taking bath in the muddy waters of the potholes.
Kerala has nearly 170,000 km of roads including 1,525 km of national highways.