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The government has submitted a new list of 17 road corridors spanning over 1,050 kilometres for inclusion in the Centre’s Vision 2047 Master Plan.
The state is now making a fresh push, urging MPs to raise the issue in Parliament. (Representative Image) (Photo: Kerala Kaumudi)
Kerala’s major road development plans, including the Kozhikode-Mysore Greenfield Economic Corridor and the proposal to declare 12 key roads as national highways (NHs), are facing serious setbacks.
The state has now made an urgent appeal to the Centre, requesting revival of these critical projects, as per TOI.
These projects, once backed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), have either been stalled or quietly shelved. This has caused concern among state officials, who now want MPs from Kerala to raise the matter in Parliament.
Kozhikode-Mysore Corridor
The Kozhikode-Mysore corridor was planned as a 24-hour greenfield highway that would avoid wildlife sanctuaries and boost interstate travel between Bengaluru and North Kerala. With a ban on night traffic through Bandipur and Wayanad forests, this road was seen as essential.
However, the state has pointed out that the NHAI is no longer actively working on the project. Despite Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan raising the issue with Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari last December, no progress has been made since then.
National Highway Status Stuck in Limbo
Equally troubling is the Centre’s delay in granting NH status to 12 road stretches covering nearly 485 km. Although in-principle approval was given earlier, no formal notification followed. Kerala says these routes are critical, especially with its growing vehicle density and strained infrastructure.
Fresh Proposals Under Vision 2047
With older plans hanging in uncertainty, Kerala has submitted a new list of 17 road projects (totalling 1,054 km) for inclusion in the Centre’s Vision 2047 Master Plan. Additionally, 14 projects worth Rs 6,700 crore have been proposed for the current year’s budget.
Political Push Gains Momentum
As the Centre remains silent, the Kerala government has now turned to political pressure. MPs have been urged to bring up the matter strongly in Parliament tomorrow. The road ahead may be uncertain, but the state’s push for progress is far from over.
Samreen Pall, Senior Sub-Editor at News18, is a Computer Science graduate but a writer at heart, Samreen has one motto that she swears by: ‘Everything is dull and useless if it has no drama in it.’ This motto c…Read More
Samreen Pall, Senior Sub-Editor at News18, is a Computer Science graduate but a writer at heart, Samreen has one motto that she swears by: ‘Everything is dull and useless if it has no drama in it.’ This motto c… Read More
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