Controversy Brews Over 7-km Cut-off in Hill Highway Project in Kerala

An eyebrow-raising omission of a key 7.217-km stretch from the newly inaugurated first phase of Kerala’s ambitious Hill Highway project has snowballed into a major controversy involving the residents.

The 34-km Kodenchery-Kakkadampoyil road in Kozhikode district was officially inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on February 15. But, only 27 km of the excluded section had been completed, Thiruvambady MLA Linto Joseph later clarified, leaving that piece of land in limbo. These disparities have given rise to accusations of project mismanagement and financial malfeasance.

Accusations Of Alignment Shifts And Cost Increases:

The original alignment of the 2018 project was allegedly changed by officials without proper consent and the need for public consent was overlooked, the way human rights activist Saithalavi alleged in an application to the vigilance department. “Landowners had surrendered their property as part of its construction for the complete highway of 34.35-km length, but the 7.217-km long Anakkulampara-Akampuzha-Thazhekakkadampoyil section has been dropped for construction,” said the complainant.

Despite this decrease, the project’s cost has exploded from ₹144 crore (2018 estimate) to ₹198.35 crore in 2024. The contract was awarded to the Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society (ULCCS) at a 10% cost escalation, which reportedly went through several price hikes.

Further, ₹26.5 crore was separately sanctioned for the missing stretch under another project, which the complainant alleges was an imprecise financial decision. It goes on to invoke the Prevention of Corruption Act, of 1988, alleging that officials abused their positions to make unjustifiable gains, causing financial losses and bringing the faith in public life to disrepute.

MLA Defends the Decision:

The changes were contested, with MLA Linto Joseph staunchly defending them after the uproar, claiming that the removed span was a village road that was not suited to the gradient requirements for a hill highway. He said that to include it would have meant six hairpin bends, making it technically unviable under state highway regulations.

Joseph said the project cost rose due to adjusting for GST, acquiring land, and rehabilitating eight families. He also added that the stretch of 7 km is now under a separate village road project with the allocation of ₹26 crore.

At the same time, the vigilance department has initiated hearings on the petition, which can decide how to move forward.