Irinjalakuda: Road renovation near the bus stand on AKP Road here has become a mockery of infrastructure development as the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) let an electricity pole stand in the middle of the path. The work to tile and renovate the damaged section of the bus stand had started after a long wait.

The complaint is that even with the work reaching halfway, KSEB has not shifted the electricity pole that was meant to be removed during the renovation and road-widening works. The tiling and renovation of the 100-meter section of the road began weeks ago.

The pole now stands in the middle of the road, posing a threat of accidents, especially for two-wheelers. Once the traffic resumes in full swing, the road will be used by all types of vehicles including limited stop buses. Municipality Chairperson Marykutty Joy stated that a letter was sent to KSEB officials when the work commenced.

However, KSEB officials claim that they have neither received an online application to remove the poles nor has the municipality paid the required fees for the same. The 26-lakh road renovation, including the tiling, is directly funded by the municipality.