81% staying near NH backs road-widening: Survey

THRISSUR: Amidst heated discussions and controversies over the proposed widening of national highways in the state, a group of MBA students of Holy Grace Academy of Management Studies, Mala, have come up with the result of an extensive survey stating that 81 percent of the people who stay near the highways in the state are in favour of the widening of the highways.
The survey, which the students as well as their technical guidance team claim to have done using international standards, states that 51 percent of the people who participated is in favour of the widening of highways to the extent of 45 metres and 37 percent is in favour of 60 metres.
Only 12 percent people favoured 30 metres to the highways. The survey team told reporters here on Tuesday that the study aimed at gathering the perception of the entire state about the issue of the widening of highways. The team of over 100 students met 3,353 people who stay near the highways. The survey states that 84 percent people believe that good highways will play an important role in the economic development of the state.
"A majority of the people who stay near the highways are happy to leave their land, provided they get current market value for their land," Davis Perepadan, chairman of the institute said. The survey reveals that the people of Kerala do not agree with some political leaders' view that the present width of the highways in Kerala is sufficient.
There was a question in the questionnaire whether the move to oppose highway widening was a political game and more than a majority of the people felt that it was so. Most people were aware of the BOT system. Only a negligible group justified the collection of toll for roads.
The team said the survey covered all 14 districts and 63 taluks of the state and got in touch with 0.01 percent people out of a 3.19 crore population according to the international standards of randomopinion polls.
The survey team plans to hand over its findings to the National Highways authority and the Central and State Govts before the next allparty meet scheduled to be held in T'Puram in a couple of weeks.