The National Highway Authority of India prescribed norms were the main constraint for highway development, said VK Ebrahim Kunju, Kerala Minister for Public Works. He told this in the State Assembly that the authority had insisted on acquiring equal space on either sides of a stretch to suit road geometrics.
This was not possible in a State like Kerala, which is faced with severe land crunch. Public opposition was another cause for delay, he explanied.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has asked the highway authority to hand over funds earmarked for highway development so that the State could bear 50 per cent of the costs.