Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has assured Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan that steps will be taken to speed up delayed work on National Highway 66 in the state, according to an official statement. The assurance was given during Satheesan’s meeting with Gadkari in New Delhi on October 8 to review pending infrastructure projects.

Gadkari said delays in the NH-66 works would be addressed and construction would be expedited. He also assured the Chief Minister that further approval for the NH-966 Kozhikode-Palakkad project would be granted within three months. Around 80 per cent of the land acquisition for the project has already been completed.

The proposed Thiruvananthapuram Outer Ring Road was also discussed, with Gadkari indicating that the required Union Cabinet approval would be obtained soon. The meeting additionally reviewed the availability of construction materials for highway projects, and the authorities agreed to take steps to accelerate the supply of river sand and quarry materials.

The Sabarimala ropeway project also featured in the discussions. It was agreed that the Detailed Project Report (DPR) would be prepared and the required Central and state approvals expedited, with the project targeted for completion within 2 years. Satheesan also sought faster progress on the Western Ernakulam Bypass, the Kothamangalam-Muvattupuzha bypasses and road connectivity to Kozhikode International Airport.

The Chief Minister separately met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to discuss matters concerning Kerala. The meetings formed part of Satheesan’s efforts to raise the state’s pending infrastructure and other issues with the Union government. Several of the road projects are at different stages of construction, approval and land acquisition, and the Centre and Kerala have agreed to work together to remove delays and advance them within specified timelines.