24 crucial projects on in State, says Chief Minister.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has said that 24 critical infrastructure projects across the State, including the flyovers at Vyttila, Palarivattom and Kundanoor, have been taken up under the Rs. 10,000-crore Speed Kerala programme.

The Speed (Sustainable and Planned Effort to Ensure Development of Infrastructure) Kerala programme is an initiative of the Public Works Department.

The Chief Minister was delivering the inaugural address at the opening of the newly reconstructed North road overbridge in Kochi recently.

He said the budgetary allocation of Rs.150 crore to the PWD was far too inadequate for the infrastructure needs of the State.

The construction of the runway of the proposed Kannur airport was already under way and it would be formally inaugurated shortly depending on the convenience of Union Defence Minister A.K. Antony. Decks have been cleared for Vizhinjam Container Terminal project, which is just a few hours away from getting the last technical clearance from the ministry concerned, Mr. Chandy said.

THE HINDU