Protracted land acquisition process one of the many factors that delayed road projects in Tamil Nadu: Nitin Gadkari

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said that protracted land acquisition process was also one of the reasons for the delay in implementing road development projects in Tamil Nadu.

Talking to the media after inspecting the ongoing Thanjavur-Vikravandi Highway construction work at Cholapuram near Kumbakonam on Friday, the Minister admitted that the project was supposed to have been completed four years ago. The COVID-19 pandemic, delay in land acquisition process, and other factors have led to the delay.

He added that 95 per cent of the two road package projects – Thanjavur to Cholapuram and Cholapuram to Sethiathope- have been completed despite all these factors.

Regretting the delay in execution of the four-lane project between Sethiathope and Vikravandi, the Minister said a fresh tender would be issued within three months and the works would start soon.n

Stating that there were no fund constraints and the Union Ministry was ready to allocate another one lakh crore rupees for road infrastructure development in Tamil Nadu where the Ministry had already spent around two lakh crore rupees over the last decade, he appealed to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister to ensure that land acquisition and other clearance process were completed quickly.

Listing out various projects implemented, being carried out and proposed for Tamil Nadu, Mr. Gadkari assured the people of Tamil Nadu that the State would have a good road infrastructure facility in near future.

Before winding up his conversation with the media, Mr.Gadkari observed that the river linking project actively pursued by the Union Government to link the Godavari river with the Cauvery River through the rivers Krishna and Pennar, would put an end to the water problem faced by Tamil Nadu.