NH 66 collapse in Malappuram: Gadkari assured probe, says MP

Thiruvananthapuram/New Delhi, May 21 (PTI) Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, has assured that a full investigation will be carried out into the recent collapse of a section of National Highway 66 at Kooriyad in Malappuram district, E T Muhammed Basheer MP said on Wednesday.

Protest march organised by the Youth Congress in Malappuram in response to the collapse ended up in scuffle between the protesters and police.

Union Minister's assurance came after the IUML Lok Sabha member met the minister in person in New Delhi on Wednesday and handed over a memorandum explaining the seriousness of the incident.

In a Facebook post, Basheer said the minister also promised strict action against the contractors responsible.

The collapse occurred on Monday afternoon, damaging several vehicles and disrupting traffic between Thrissur and Kozhikode. One side of the elevated highway caved in and fell onto the service road below.

Basheer said he informed the minister that the accident happened in an active construction area and that travellers had a narrow escape from a major tragedy. The Ponnani MP blamed poor construction work for the collapse.

He also pointed out that this is not the first such incident, and that the National Highways Authority has not taken these issues seriously enough.

Basheer urged the minister to appoint an expert team to look into the faults and irregularities in the construction of NH 66.

He stressed that similar accidents have been reported along the stretch from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram, and that this is a state-wide concern.

The MP also said that highway construction in Kerala should take into account the state’s landscape and weather, especially since damages often occur during the monsoon season.

Meanwhile, the Youth Congress held a protest march in Malappuram on Wednesday in response to the highway collapse. The march was towards the office of the company involved in the construction work in the affected area.

Tensions rose when police tried to stop the protestors. A scuffle broke out between Youth Congress workers and the police. As officers used force to break up the protest, the situation turned into a clash.

Youth Congress leader Abin Varkey and several other protestors were taken into custody by the police.

The highway collapse has sparked strong criticism of the state government from the opposition Congress party and local residents.

Leader of the Opposition, V D Satheesan, strongly criticised the ruling LDF government and alleged large-scale irregularities in national highway construction across the state.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan called the collapse an "unfortunate incident" and said the matter would be taken up with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

He added that necessary steps would be taken to address the issue and continue the construction work safely. PTI