MLA inaugurates six road projects day before their unveiling by Rahul in Kerala

The construction inauguration of the rural roads was performed by Nilambur MLA PV Anvar on Tuesday while the same was scheduled to be done by Gandhi on Wednesday

A row erupted in Kerala on Wednesday after a Left-backed MLA inaugurated construction work of around six roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY) in Nilambur Assembly constituency, a day before they were to be given the green light by Lok Sabha MP and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was supposed to inaugurate construction of six PMGSY roads in Nilambur on Wednesday. (ANI)

The construction inauguration of the rural roads was performed by Nilambur MLA PV Anvar on Tuesday while the same was scheduled to be done by Gandhi on Wednesday. Nilambur falls under the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency which Gandhi represents.

Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan while backing the MLA raised questions about the decision that Rahul Gandhi should inaugurate the roads when the state government has spent 40% share of the funds for the project.

“The state government should be informed when a project is slated to be inaugurated in Kerala. Who decided that Rahul Gandhi should inaugurate the project? The state government has borne 40% of the funds for roads under PMGSY,” Vijayan said at a press conference in Malappuram district.

“The state rural development department submitted the proposals for the 2023-24 FY and the same was approved by the Centre on 8.6.2023. It is clear in the order that the proposals were submitted by the state government. The proposals were sent after I submitted the letter to the state local self-government and rural development departments in April, 2022 requesting for roads that were damaged by the floods in Nilambur in 2019 to be included in PMGSY,” Anvar claimed.

“Out of the 16 roads approved by Centre under PMGSY in Wayanad LS constituency, eight of them are in Nilambur. If the approval for the roads are a result of the efforts of the MP, why were roads not approved in other Assembly constituencies like Eranad and Thiruvambady? Since the state government spends 40% of the funds for these roads, the inauguration of construction of these roads can only be done with the approval of the state. The programme on Nov 29 of Gandhi has not been charted with the nod of the state government. Therefore this is not an official function,” the MLA wrote.

However, Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan countered CM’s claims and said that as per norms of the PMGSY, the inauguration of projects should be done by MPs.

“I want to ask the CM to read the norms of PMGSY. MPs are supposed to inaugurate projects. The block panchayat is the implementing agency. MLAs cannot inaugurate them. The CM must not stoop so low and encourage an MLA who did the wrong thing here,” said Satheesan.