Date:31/12/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/12/31/stories/2006123101500200.htm

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

`Include Kottoor road in NH project'

Special Correspondent

Thiruvananthapuram: The Trivandrum Residents Apex Council (TRAC) has urged the State Government to exert pressure on the Union Government to include the Kottoor-Ambasamudram road in the National Highway project.

The Kottoor-Ambasamudram road, built during the Travancore era, had fallen into disuse. The restoration of the road would help link the Tuticorin port with the proposed international container terminal at Vizhinjam and provide an impetus for the industrial and economic development of the hilly areas in the district, said a press note quoting TRAC president Amaravila Ramakrishnan Nair and general secretary K.T. Roy. The new route would reduce the distance to the State capital from various places in Tamil Nadu by nearly 70 km. This would result in substantial savings on fuel and ultimately bring down the prices of essential commodities, said the note.

TRAC appealed to Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan to intervene and bring pressure on the Union Government to take up the project. TRAC hailed the Central and State governments for sanctioning the proposal to set up the Indian Institute of Science and Research Centre in the district.