Malappuram: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has agreed to carry out a full investigation into the collapse of a section of the National Highway 66 (NH66) at Kooriyad in Malappuram, MP ET Muhammed Basheer said on Wednesday. He said the Union minister has also promised to take stern action against the contractors for the mishap. 

A section of the under-construction NH in Kooriyad collapsed on May 19, sparking widespread criticism of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the project's contractors.

Basheer, who met Gadkari in New Delhi, told the minister that the accident happened in an active construction area and that travellers narrowly escaped a major tragedy. The Ponnani MP blamed poor construction work for the collapse.

He also pointed out that this was not the first such incident and that the NHAI has not taken such mishaps seriously. The IUML leader also urged the minister to appoint an expert team to investigate possible faults and irregularities in the construction of NH 66.

Meanwhile, minister V Abdurahiman said that the state PWD would coordinate with the central government to repair the collapsed highway. Responding to the Opposition's allegations, Abdurahiman defended the LDF government's handling of the highway project, stating that the state had spent over ₹5,000 crore on land acquisition alone, a scale unmatched by any other state.

Expert panel visit
Amid growing concerns, a three-member expert panel is set to visit the affected Kooriyad site to investigate the subsidence. The team is expected to conduct a thorough inspection. While initial findings by the NHAI have ruled out any signs of unscientific construction, the Kerala State Public Works Department (PWD) will also carry out an independent evaluation.

Adding to the discontent, residents have expressed frustration over delays in addressing other unresolved issues related to the project. Ali Akbar, a resident and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader from the region, announced that the party will begin an indefinite strike at the site from Thursday.

"For the past two days, PWD Minister PA Mohammed Riyas was camped just a few kilometres away. But he did not visit the location. There are grave technical faults in the way this highway is being constructed in Kooriyad. The Youth League Vengara and Tirurangadi mandalam committees will stage a protest in the area from Thursday," said Ali Akbar.

Youth Congress protest turns violent
A Youth Congress protest march against what it claimed was the unscientific and substandard construction work resulted in a scuffle with the police. The protesters, who tried to enter the office premises of the contracting company at Kohinoor near Calicut University, were forcibly removed and arrested.