Technocrat turned politician E Sreedharan, who is credited with playing leadership roles in infrastructure works, including the Konkan Railways and the Delhi Metro, is miffed over a proposed bridge in Malappuram district in Kerala. According to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Sreedharan at the Kerala High Court, the bridge connecting Thavanur and Thirunavaya will hurt Hindu sentiments. However, the construction of the bridge began with a grand celebration on Sunday, September 8.
The PIL by Sreedharan – who joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) earlier this year – was filed a few days ahead of the inauguration of works by the Roads and Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala Limited (RBDCK). The court has not issued any order on the plea to stay the construction. Meanwhile, the court has directed the respondents, including the state government, to provide a statement to understand whether any public element is involved in the case.
Following this, PWD Minister PA Muhammed Riyas inaugurated the works in the presence of Thavanur MLA KT Jaleel. According to the PIL, the proposed alignment would divide the temples and therefore would hurt religious sentiments. The Navamukunda temple at Thirunavaya and the Cherutirunavaya Brahma-Siva temple, located respectively on the north and south banks of Bharathapuzha, together make it 'Trimurti sangama', a place of religious significance, and the bridge would separate the two temples. He also argued that the construction would encroach upon the memorial of freedom fighter K Kelappan.
Jaleeel said that the PIL was politically motivated. "After contesting from Palakkad, Sreedharan is a ‘BJP man’, not ‘Metroman’. He has taken up this campaign for BJP. The alignment was finalised by experts in the Public Works Department. The proposed bridge comes up on private property between the two temples. If the properties of the temples were a single unit, there could have been a merit in the argument that the bridge divided the area. However, the allegations are truly baseless and lack public support," he said.
Private properties were acquired from around 26 individuals in Thavanur and Thirunavaya panchayats in 2020.
"Every year, temporary bridges were constructed to connect Thavanur and Thirunavaya for the annual Sarvodaya mela. This bridge is a long-pending demand of the local community," he said. Jaleel questioned the motive behind filing the PIL just ahead of the construction.
He also said that the alignment would not pose any damage to the Kelappan memorial. “In fact, the bridge will be named after Kelappan,” he said.
Tavanur panchayat president Naseera CP said that the new bridge would be beneficial to the devotees visiting temples as it would give better access to the Vishnu temple on the other side of the river. "The approach road on one side of the bridge would join the road leading to the Brahma-Siva temple. The project has been in the pipeline for several years. Now, some people are raising unnecessary issues after a long process of acquiring land, inviting tenders, and awarding the project," she said.
An official of RBDCK said that the alignment was finalised several years ago by the PWD. According to a PWD official, a re-inspection was conducted following the allegation, and no obstruction to the free movement of devotees was found. Sreedharan, in his plea, said that he sent letters to the Chief Minister and PWD Minister suggesting alternate options but failed to get any response.
The construction of the bridge has been taken up by Uralungal Labour Contract Society for an estimated cost of Rs 48.83 crore. As per the detailed project report, the bridge is 1.2 km long and includes a 380 metre approach road. The 11 metre wide bridge will have pavements on either side. The RBDCK plans to complete construction within a year.
On Thursday, acting Chief Justice A Muhamed Mustaque and Justice S Manu adjourned the case to September 30.