After getting caught in the
political storm between the two Kazagams for the past six years, it is now the
turn of the central agencies to delay the Eight lane Chennai and Salem Expressway
project by taking their own time in securing environment and forest clearance.
The Union Minister
disclosed the information to a query posed by Dr.Anbumani Ramadoss in the Rajya
sabha on March 16th. Mr Gadkari also said the Union government did not receive
any objections from the Tamil Nadu government in executing the project.
The project proposed by the
previous AIADMK government led by former chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami
was opposed vehemently by a few political parties including the DMK and several
farm associations. The associations objected to the government's
decision to acquire farmlands for the project.
The Chennai-Salem
expressway will pass through crucial districts including Kancheepuram,
Tiruvannamalai, Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri. It will reduce the travelling time
between the state capital and Salem by at least two hours. The expressway will
boost the economic growth of the state. It will ensure high-speed connectivity
between special economic zones between the two cities. Chennai is one of the
major automobile hubs while Salem is a textile hub. National highways authority
of India (NHAI) has proposed to execute the project at an estimated cost of
10,000 crore.
The aiamdk government in
the state blocked the Chennai Port Maduravoyal elevated corridor project for
six years till 2016. For the past seven years several central agencies continue
to block the progress of the project. Work on the project which remain
suspended since 2011, is yet to resume in a record of sorts. |