Count and fill potholes on NH: Kerala Minister tells central ministers

He convenes press meets on most of the days...that is also good...But, it is true that there are more potholes on the national highways in India, including those in Kerala, than the number of press meets he convenes, Riyas said.In an apparent reference to Jaishankars recent inspection at Kazhakuttom flyover, he said several union ministers are visiting Kerala now-a-days and leave after taking photographs of projects which are ready for inauguration and posting it on social media.

Kerala PWD Minister P A Mohammed Riyas on Wednesday took a jibe at Union Ministers visiting the state, urging them to count and fill potholes on national highways instead of just clicking pictures of almost-finished projects and posting them on their social media pages. His criticism comes a day after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan slammed External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's recent visit to the state and inspection of the Kazhakuttom flyover on the National Highway-66 here, which is under construction.

While speaking during the question hour in the state Assembly, Riyas, also the son-in-law of Vijayan, found fault with the Centre over the potholes on the national highways, maintained by the National Highways Authority of India.

Without naming Union Minister V Muraleedharan, he said there are more potholes on the national highways than the press meets convened by him.

''There is a person who was born in our state, played and grew up here, became a Rajya Sabha member from another state, and is now a union minister....it is a good thing. He convenes press meets on most of the days...that is also good...But, there are indeed more potholes on the national highways in India, including those in Kerala than the number of press meets he convenes,'' Riyas said.

In an apparent reference to Jaishankar's recent inspection at the Kazhakuttom flyover, he said several union ministers are visiting Kerala nowadays and leave after taking photographs of projects which are ready for inauguration and posting it on social media. ''We are of the view that such ministers should take responsibility to count and fill the potholes on the national highways falling under the National Highway Authority,'' the minister added.