Even as Kozhikode MP M.K. Raghavan blamed the Public Works department (PWD) for the purported delay in taking up the development of the Malaparamba-Vellimadukunnu stretch of Mananchira-Vellimadukunnu Road, Minister for Public Works P.A. Mohamed Riyas said that it would be developed under the city road improvement project.
The Minister said on Tuesday (October 7) that the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had allowed the PWD to take up work on the stretch. This followed a proposal from the State government. The work on the stretch had been kept pending.
Mr. Riyas said that it was earlier decided to expand the Mananchira-Vellimadukunnu Road as a four-lane road under the city road improvement project. The government also completed land acquisition for the purpose. However, the State did not get approval to do work on the Malaparamba-Vellimadukunnu stretch as it was part of the Malaparamba-Muthanga national highway project (NH 766). Following this, the PWD wrote to the Centre requesting approval for taking up works on the stretch and held discussions with officials. When Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan met Union Minister Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi recently, the issue was brought to his notice as well. Mr. Gadkari subsequently promised to look into the proposal, Mr. Riyas said.
Meanwhile, PWD officials said that work had been progressing on the 5.32-km stretch of the 8.34-km Mananchira-Vellimadukunnu Road. The Malaparamba-Vellimadukunnu stretch is over three km long. The State government had allocated ₹482 crore for the widening work, ₹344.5 crore for land acquisition, and ₹137.44 crore for the road construction.
Published – October 07, 2025 08:14 pm IST
