Congress MLA T. Siddique Accused of Spreading Misinformation on Thamarassery Ghat Road Project

Kalpetta: Kalpetta MLA T. Siddique has come under fire for making misleading statements regarding the Thamarassery Ghat road development project, despite there being no preliminary agreement supporting his claims.

The allegations were raised during a press conference held in Lakkidi, Palakkad on Friday. He claimed that work on hairpin bends 6, 7, and 8 had stalled, citing issues with the project and calling for a re-tender. He also claimed that Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi would intervene in the matter. However, officials have clarified that the project is on schedule and work is slated to begin by September 15.

The Rs. 37 crore project was given to Delhi-based Chaudhary Construction Company, which reportedly quoted a lower contract amount. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the contractor have since signed the work agreement, and the company has conducted two rounds of site inspection.

Necessary road segments and forest land have been handed over, and the delay in starting work has been attributed to heavy monsoon rains. Officials criticized Siddique’s comments as either a misunderstanding or a deliberate omission of facts aimed at political gain. Particularly contentious was his claim that the proposal for widening the Ghat road’s hairpin bends was initiated following Rahul Gandhi’s intervention during a 'DISHA' meeting — an entirely false statement.

Authorities clarified that the proposal was developed and submitted by the state’s National Highways division and was later approved for funding and tendering. The project is the result of repeated discussions held by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Public Works Minister P.A. Mohammed Riyas with Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari. The government has taken steps to improve connectivity by long-pending Padinjarethara–Poozhithode alternative Ghat road project, which had been stalled for over three decades.

Under the second Left Democratic Front (LDF) led government, feasibility studies, including GPS surveys, are nearing completion. The state has allocated Rs. 1.5 crore for preparing the alignment plan. These efforts, including the tunnel road project, are part of a larger push by the LDF government to enhance transport infrastructure. Officials accused Siddique of downplaying or ignoring these developments to discredit the government.

Interestingly, while the Congress and the Opposition had previously opposed the tunnel road project — even predicting public resistance — they have now remained largely silent.. Authorities pointed out that the UDF had not even considered such infrastructure initiatives during its tenure, while the current LDF government is actively implementing them. provide title, slug, blurb and detailed key words