Vijayan slams govt over highway project

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan yesterday slammed the central government for not taking into confidence the state before holding talks with a group of protesters opposing a National Highway project in Kannur district.The protesters are demanding a change in the proposed re-alignment of the highway, since the plan in its present shape threatens to take away around 12 acres of paddy field, in which they have been cultivating for generations. The protest has received all-round support, except from the Kerala’s ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist.Slamming the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for playing “dirty politics”, Vijayan told reporters in Delhi where he is attending a meeting of his party that the central government has made a wrong move by deciding to interfere with the development of the highway.“The Centre has done a wrong thing by inviting those opposing the particular NH alignment while the state government was not invited to this meeting. This is the game plan of the RSS. What is even more surprising is that a union minister from Kerala was also present at the meeting,” Vijayan said.He was referring to Minister of State for Tourism K J Alphons.The chief minister lashed out at the government as soon as he came to know that Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari had met the delegation comprising members from “Vayalkilikal” (the protesters), along with senior state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and Alphons.They assured the visiting protesters that a team of experts will soon visit the disputed site to find ways for a possible new alignment.