Islanders to hold day-night stir before GIDA office demanding road connectivity to Pizhala-Moolampilly bridge

Protest against delayed road connectivity to Pizhala-Moolampilly bridge led by islanders and officials, demanding action from GIDA.

Goshree islanders and others will hold a ‘Raapakal’ (day-and-night) demonstration before the Goshree Islands Development Authority (GIDA) office here from 10 a.m. on Monday to 10 a.m. on Tuesday, protesting the inordinate delay in completing road connectivity to the Pizhala-Moolampilly bridge.

Former Kerala High Court judge Kemal Pasha will inaugurate the protest that is being spearheaded by the Pizhala 350-Metre Road Connectivity Samithi. Hibi Eden, MP, and innumerable others would join the agitation that is being held to denounce the alleged apathy shown by GIDA in establishing connectivity to the bridge. “We cannot continue to rely anymore on repeated assurances given by the authority, since road connectivity remains a distant reality,” said Antony Aneesh E.Y., convener of the samithi.

A two-wheeler rally was taken out on Pizhala island and nearby areas on Sunday as a precursor to the protest. Asserting that it was their right to have wide, motorable roads, the islanders had in September warned of locking the GIDA office gate, in protest against the over two-year delay in constructing the connectivity road and the shoddy condition of the existing road.

In the meantime, GIDA sources said that the 350-m-long connectivity road would be readied by December 15 and its tarring completed by January 15, 2025. “This decision comes in the wake of a meeting convened by District Collector N.S.K. Umesh, as sought by K.N. Unnikrishnan, MLA, to alleviate concerns about the delay in realising the connectivity road.

A stocktaking proved that the delay was due to the ‘apathy’ shown by the contractor and the subsequent lack of progress. Mr. Umesh warned of taking action against the contractor under provisions of the Disaster Management Act, if the connectivity road was not completed in a time-bound manner. Following this, the contractor agreed to adhere to the deadline to ready the road and to complete its tarring by January 15,” they added.

It was also decided to form a committee comprising officials of the GIDA, the police, and also the tahsildar and panchayat president to monitor the progress of works. This apart, the Collector and the MLA would frequently visit the worksite, it was decided at the meeting.

Apart from GIDA officials, those who attended the meeting included officials of panchayats, ward members, the project’s contractor and representatives of the Samara Samithi that has been spearheading the demand to fast-track the connectivity road.