NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 5: The Left may have pushed the Congress to the wall over the Indo-US nuclear deal but it has been more than accommodating with other UPA constituents. After a standoff lasting months, the DMK has got the Left government in Kerala to climb down on the issue of collecting toll on national highways.

The Kerala government had put the Centre in a spot earlier this year by refusing to sign the state support agreement required for four laning of some 664 km of national highways in the state, saying it could not permit toll collection on its highways.

Several attempts later, the Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport & Highways headed by DMK’s T R Baalu has got the Kerala government to accept the ‘policy issue’ involved in tolled road projects.

“There is a positive response from Kerala now. While they have not yet given any commitment to us in writing, they have indicated they will sign the agreement soon. In fact, within the next two weeks we hope the Kerala government will sign the state support agreement,” Baalu told The Indian Express.

Kerala PWD, Principal Secretary Matthew C Kunnunkal confirmed: “We have not yet taken a formal decision but signing of the state support agreement is under active consideration and within a few days, it is likely to happen. The government is thinking in terms of the larger public interest.” The state has just 33.6 km of a 4-lane National Highway from Ernakulam to Angamali (N-S/E-W corridor). Of the total 1523.954 km of national highways in the state, 1,076 km are still single lane.