Road construction in Panachikkad stalled as contractor backs out due to payment delays

Kottayam: Road development projects in the Panachikkad Panchayat have ground to a halt as a contractor is yet to receive pending dues worth ₹1.95 crore. Citing these unpaid bills, the contractor has officially informed the panchayat of their inability to undertake the construction of the two remaining roads under the project.

The outstanding payments pertain to road works completed under the Chief Minister's Rural Road Rebuilding Scheme (CMRRRP) during the tenure of the previous state government. The LDF currently governs the Panachikkad Panchayat, which was previously led by the UDF.

The immediate casualty of this deadlock is the renovation of the vital access roads leading to the Chingavanam NSS Higher Secondary School (popularly known as Sadanam School).

Currently, the connecting roads to the school from Sadanam Kavala, Thuruthippally, Parappuram, and Neelanchira are in a deplorable state, making commuting a nightmare. Local residents allege that despite severe traffic disruptions, the three-tier panchayats (Grama, Block, and District) have failed to allocate funds to repair the main school road.

Having repeatedly petitioned local representatives to no avail, both the school management and local residents are at their wits' end. In recent Grama Sabhas, residents strongly demanded that funds be earmarked for these key stretches.

According to the Panchayat governing body, the Sadanam School road and the Kattamplack–Kallukkalkadavu road were included under the previous government’s CM’s Road Rebuilding Scheme, with an allocation of ₹2.7 crore.

Although road works worth ₹1.95 crore were executed under the supervision of the Panchayat's engineering wing, the actual payments are disbursed directly by the state government, not the local body.

The Panchayat administration clarified that during negotiations, the contractor refused to begin work on the Sadanam School road until the outstanding dues for the completed works are cleared. Officials added that they have escalated the issue to the state government for a resolution.

Meanwhile, the Congress leadership claimed that MLA Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan had allocated ₹30 lakh from his asset development fund for the Sadanam Kavala–Sadanam School road, and the tendering process had already been completed. They alleged that the project remains stalled solely because the government has failed to clear the contractor's previous bills, ultimately forcing them to pull out of the project.