NIT board claims rights over state highway, locals protest

Kozhikode. Kozhikode: The National Institute of Technology (NIT) has stirred up a controversy by putting up a board claiming rights over a portion of the state highway passing through its campus. The board, erected at the 12th mile on the Kattangal and Kunnamangalam-Agasthiyamuzhy road, claims that the land belongs to NIT, which functions under the Central government, and bans public transport in the area. The action has sparked protests from locals and commuters, which also got a lot of traction on social media.

The board erected states that the land through which the road passes belongs to NIT and should not be encroached upon. The road is a vital link connecting the hilly region of the district with Kunnamangalam. The state government had declared it a state highway three months ago under a tunnel construction project, a major initiative aimed at upgrading the tunnel to a four-lane road to accommodate increasing traffic.

In 2003, the then MLA UC Raman had made a similar claim on the road, but the authorities had dropped further action following protests from locals.

Possible impact on commuters

NIT has approached the State government several times to hand over the road section from Kattangal to 12th mile, which crosses the campus. However, the State government has declined this request. If the road is transferred to NIT, commuters will have to take a detour from Kattangal to 12th mile via Company Mukku. This detour will cause great inconvenience to patients travelling to and from Kozhikode Medical College, especially when the 12th mile section has been demolished for renovation of the Company Mukku road.

The local community is strongly opposing NIT’s action. The road, which is a century older than NIT, has been an important bus route for years. Locals argue that the Regional College of Engineering (REC), the predecessor of NIT, was established in 1961 on one side of the road, while the hostel and director’s residence were added later, expanding the campus on both sides of the road.