Parties prefer to ignore development issues

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: People of Neyyatinkara thank the bypoll because they feel it gives an opportunity to the political leaders to get a first-hand experience of the trauma they are undergoing. It would take around two-and-a-half hours to cover about 20 km from Neyyatinkara to Thiruvananthapuram during peak hours.     The widening of National Highway connecting Karamana and Kaliyakkavila has been a burning issue for years. However, the political parties are mum about this in their campaign.   All development aspects of Neyyatinkara constituency are submerged in the avalanche of political events such as T P Chandrasekharan murder, fifth minister row, ‘hoarse-trading’ etc. Political parties here have not focused on development concerns at all.    BJP leader O Rajagopal may be an exception as his hoardings address problems of fishermen, roads etc. ‘’Both the fronts are ignoring the Karamana-Kaliyakkavila road widening, which is the most discussed subject among the common people here,’’ said Mohan Kumar, president of National Highway Action Council which is spearheading the agitation seeking widening of National Highway for the past four-and-a-half years.   After years of agitation, the then Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan laid the foundation stone for widening works in November 2010. The plan was to widen the National Highway from Karamana to Kaliyakkavila to 30.2 metres. The first phase of the work was to cover 12 km from Karamana to Vazhimukku. However, the work was halted by the row over land acquisition.   Recently, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy intervened following which a revised alignment was submitted to the government. However, land acquisition still remains a major bottleneck. ‘’Both the fronts have vested interest against the road widening. That is why they are not showing interest in the development,’’ said Mohan Kumar.  The National Highway  Action Council is planning a vehicle rally from Kaliyakkavila to the Secretariat on July 11. ‘’The leaders are discussing only political issues. Both fronts are responsible for the delay in National Highway widening,’’ said Ramachandran, a resident of Neyyatinkara. The state of Neyyatinkara taluk hospital, the lone government hospital depended on by common man in and around the area, is a proof of the apathy of elected representatives. When ‘Express’ met S Vimala of Vizhinjam, she was sitting in the hospital verandah waiting for the results of lab test. ‘’There are not enough number of beds. Water supply will stop after 8 pm. Mostly poor people depend on this place. But they have to wait for long to get treatment,’’ she said. Rajesh of Aanaur said that the hospital could not be depended on for emergency needs. ‘’The victims will be immediately transferred to Medical College Hospital since this hospital lacks adequate facility,’’ he said.Sand mining in the Neyyar river, drinking water shortage, development of roads and bridges are the other problems raised by the voters.  However, leaders prefer to stick on only to the political ones.