Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin Letter to Nitin Gadkari, “Roads So Bad That…”
According to Stalin, the state of the road is so poor that he had to schedule his most recent trips to a few districts by train.
The deplorable condition of the road connection between Chennai and the Ranipet National Highway was the subject of a letter from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin to Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Saturday.
The Chief Minister alleged that the road’s poor condition forced him to schedule his recent trips to a few areas by train.
Stain noted that the road segment provides “vital connectivity” from Chennai and its ports to the industrial clusters in Kanchipuram, Vellore, Ranipet, Hosur, and Krishnagiri, and claimed that the Union Minister’s response to a specific request made in this regard by DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran in the Parliament was “very general” and “non-committal.”
“I would like to draw your attention to the plea made by MP Dayanidhi Maran on the floor of the Parliament to upgrade the current road stretch from Chennai to Ranipet (NH-4). This section provides the necessary connectivity between the industrial clusters in Kanchipuram, Vellore, Ranipet, Hosur, and Krishnagiri, as well as the city of Chennai and its ports.
Since the road is in such horrible shape, I’ve had to schedule my recent trips to a few areas by train. We were upset with your response because it was so vague and non-committal, even though our MP’s request was extremely clear about this crucial road.”
He continued by saying, “I also want to draw your attention to the actions that our government has taken to assist NHAI projects in the State. The Chennai Port to Madurvoyal Elevated Expressway Project has been resurrected with the aid of all available resources, including the granting of an exemption from aggregate royalty.”
“Other significant NHAI projects have received comparable discounts, which were never granted in the past. On September 5, 2022, the duration of soil/gravel permits was increased from three months to one year based on your recommendations. To oversee land acquisition for highway construction, the State Headquarters has established a Special Cell. To the best of my knowledge, no significant NHAI project is being delayed due to a lack of such approvals, and the Forest Department’s permissions are also being evaluated ” he claimed.
Additionally, the chief secretary periodically monitors the District Collectors’ progress in acquiring land and obtaining borrow earth approvals. The other requests for free provision of borrow earth by forgoing material costs, royalties, and seigniorage fees are also being taken into account.
Stalin said that it was regrettable that the NHAI’s response to Nitin Gadkari’s question in Parliament gave the impression that the state government was not cooperating with it.
“Despite all of the government’s honest efforts, it was regrettable that your response to the Parliament generated the impression that the State Government was not collaborating with the NHAI. I can assure you that this is untrue, and we have been working hard to go on with all significant infrastructure projects quickly, without making any distinctions between those carried out by the State and Union Governments.”
The Chief Minister also mentioned that NH-4’s Sriperumbudur to Walajapet segment was being six-laned, but that the construction had been delayed due to disagreements over contracts between the contractors and NHAI, leaving the present road in very poor condition.
“I would greatly appreciate it if you could direct your personnel to investigate the precise request made by our Member of Parliament. The area of concern is the Sriperumbudur to Walajapet segment of National Highway 4, where the expansion to six lanes is underway. The project has been delayed due to disagreements between the contractors and the National Highways Authority of India, resulting in a deplorable state of the current road.”
It is appropriate to note that because to such inadequate maintenance, the Hon’ble High Court of Madras decreased the toll rate at Sriperumbudur and Chennasamudram Toll Plaza to 50% in December 2020. The reputation of NHAI, which has otherwise been doing a fantastic job in our State, has been severely damaged by the terrible road conditions and the challenges experienced by road users, he said.
In order to expedite the six-laning construction and keep the road stretch in good shape, Stalin, the Union Minister, asked that the NHAI personnel be given the proper orders. Stalin assured the NHAI of all essential cooperation for its initiatives.
“In light of the foregoing, I humbly ask that the NHAI personnel be given the necessary instructions to speed up the six-laning works and keep the road length in good shape. I reaffirm my commitment to continuing to provide all essential cooperation for your projects” he stated.