The Hindu : Will the GO turn battered stretches into better roads?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 05, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai

Will the GO turn battered stretches into better roads?

By T.Ramakrishnan

CHENNAI JULY 4. The transfer of many city roads from the control of Chennai Corporation to that of the State Highways department has thrown up a fundamental question: will it provide any immediate relief to the city citizens, who have learned to live with the battered roads ?

Though there is no straight answer to this query, officials do admit that ``there is a lengthy process involved in effecting the transfer''.

Going by the sequence of steps to be carried out for the transfer, the officials hint that the possibility of the citizens having better roads is remote. Putting the whole matter in a ``proper perspective'', a senior official in the Highways department says ``we are yet to get a copy of the GO''.

Pointing out that the transfer process is yet to begin, the Highways department's official says that decisions will have to be taken on the arrangement of the necessary staff and allocation of funds.

According to the Chennai Corporation, the GO states that funds will be provided by the local body. ``There is no mention about the staff'', an official in the Corporation says. He also hints that the question of having the requisite staff is the lookout of the Highways department.

At present, there is one sub-division in the Highways department for the city roads having one assistant executive engineer and three assistant engineers. These officials are responsible for Anna Salai, Poonamalle High Road, Walltax Road and Inner Ring Road.

Completing the transfer process and sorting out the staff question are the immediate issues. ``Have we been provided with the GO a couple of weeks ago, at least we would be now half way through''.

Even, the engineers acknowledge that one major problem area is going to be in respect of ``road restoration works''. For the roads where these works are being executed or have been completed, the Highways department will examine whether they are carried out as per its specifications.Another question regarding the transfer is whether the Highways department will be able to respond to the requirements of the city as the situation warrants.

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