Kollam: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said that the responsibility for the construction of National Highway completely rests with the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), dismissing criticism against the LDF government over the collapse of a portion of NH66 in Malappuram.

Speaking at an LDF convention in Kollam, Pinarayi said that the Central government had already initiated corrective measures after a section of the under-construction national highway collapsed in Kooriyad, Malappuram, injuring several people. Cracks have also been reported along newly constructed stretches in Kozhikode, Thrissur, and Kannur.

He added that the ongoing work should not be affected by these incidents. "The works should continue in a fair and proper manner. There were some faults on the part of the NHAI, and it is their responsibility to address the issue and take appropriate action," Pinarayi said.

Meanwhile, the Central Government has debarred KNR Constructions and its consultancy partner, Highway Engineering Consultancy (HEC), responsible for the construction work of the collapsed highway. 

The Chief Minister said that, in a perverse way, the LDF government could be blamed for the mishap. "They (the UDF) can say that it was only because we completed the land acquisition that the NH work could be done. And if the work had not been carried out, such an accident would not have taken place. In that sense, they can say that we have a responsibility," the Chief Minister said, making fun of what he termed the hollow criticism of the UDF. 

He said that all the political parties in Kerala had given the previous UDF government a "blank cheque" to construct a 45-metre highway in Kerala. "Yet the then government could not acquire an inch of land," Pinarayi said. Fed up, the NHAI had shut shop and left Kerala.

After coming to power, the LDF government called back the NHAI. "But we had to pay the price for the inefficiency of the UDF government. NHAI had a new demand. It said that land acquisition costs in Kerala were too high and that they could not bear it fully," the CM said.

Initially, Kerala objected as such a practice was not heard of in the country. "Yet we knew that a national highway was important for the progress of the state, and we finally agreed to pay 25% of the land acquisition costs," the CM said. "No other state in the country has ever been asked to bear such a burden," he said. The state's land acquisition share of Rs 5600 crore was paid through KIIFB.

The CM said the LDF government was proud of the smooth progress of the NH 66 construction from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod.