more-in Discontent is brewing among Mulavukad islanders, and yet again it is centered on their transportation woes borne out of the unfinished development of the five-and-a-half-kilometre Mulavukad Road winding through the heart of the island. The issue has now turned into a political hot potato with the Congress whipping up a campaign to put pressure on the Left Democratic Front (LDF)-led Mulavukad panchayat and the local MLA, also from LDF, to reap political dividend. Congress mandalam committee launched the campaign with a dawn-to-dusk hartal in the island and an indefinite relay hunger strike at Goshree Junction on Monday. The three-km stretch from the northern end of Mulavukad to the area near military camp was widened and surfaced by the Goshree Islands Development Authority (GIDA) following a long struggle more than five years ago. The rest of the stretch up to Goshree Junction remained narrow and potholed and deteriorated further with the onset of monsoon. Bus services “The number of buses operating through the Mulavukad Road has dwindled to a mere two from 12 with the launch of share autorickshaw service. Now the autorickshaw operators have hiked the fare citing the hike in fuel price,” said Congress mandalam committee president P.R. John. Mulavukad panchayat president Viji Shajan said that technical sanction was being awaited for completing the one-and-a-half kilometre stretch between military camp and Thandassery at an estimated cost of ?2.10 crore. “Though three landowners are yet to surrender land, it is unlikely to be a hurdle in undertaking the work. The shifting of cables and pipelines has been completed,” she said. That will leave out another one-kilometre stretch still to be developed for which considerable extent of land spread among 50 owners is yet to be acquired. Ms. Shajan said many had already given consent letters but had turned reluctant because of the delay in the work. GIDA authorities said once technical sanction was received, work would be tendered for the military camp-Thandassery stretch.

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