Man who strived for alternative route to Wayanad bypassing ghats road passes away

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Kottiyoor: TS Scaria (84) aka Kunjettan who had for over four decades diligently pushed for a road other than the mountain pass has passed away. It was Scaria who proposed the idea of an alternative road that is not a mountain pass to connect Kannur and Wayanad districts.
The people of Thuruthi had lovingly called him Kunjettan. He is the eldest among the eight children of TS Scaria and Eli who had migrated to Kottiyoor around 75 years ago from Teecoy near Pala, Kottayam.
He started looking for a path to Mananthavady when the family settled at Ambayathodu in Kottiyoor near Wayanad. He was able to find an easy path with the help of the tribal people in the area. This is how the Kottiyoor – Ambayathodu – Thalappuzha 44th mile road which is popularly known as the road without a mountain pass was formed.
Although a road was built here, the government had refused to give it approval. Finally, the path got its approval when Kanthalot Kunjambu was the minister for forest. Traffic too had begun on this road. However, the forest department blocked the road citing various reasons. Kunjettan will be laid to rest at 11 am today at St George Church, Ambayathodu.