The last time the city saw new scheme roads was more than two years ago prior to the conduct of the World Classical Tamil Conference in June 2010. Thereafter nothing much happened. There was a change in government at the State and a change in administration in the Coimbatore Corporation. And that raised hopes among the city’s residents.
Soon after assuming office, Mayor S.M. Velusamy said that the Corporation planned to develop at least one scheme road a zone a year. That meant five scheme roads a year. As a first step, the Corporation would lay the scheme road that would link Thadagam Road with Perur Road.
He also promised laying 170 schemes in the coming years. This he said in 2012-13 in his budget speech.
A year later, in his 2013-14 speech, the Mayor said that to reduce traffic congestion in the city the Corporation planned to lay the following 11 scheme roads: Perur — Thadagam Road, Selvapuram Housing Unit Road, Singanallur — Vellalore Road, Ponnaiahrajapuram — Chokkampudur Link Road, Masakalipalayam Link Road, Kamarajar Road — Neelikonampalayam Road (expansion work), Avinashi Road (near airport), Tiruvalluvar Nagar — Sama Naidu Link Road, Thanneerpandal Road (expansion work) and Nallampalayam Road.
Mr. Velusamy did not stop with that, though. He also said that the Corporation would acquire lands to lay roads measuring 16.80 km at Rs. 124 crore and obtain the funds from the Local Planning Authority.
He went a step ahead and said that as a first step the Corporation had allotted Rs. 2 crore for the purpose.
Six months down the line, nothing much has happened. As of September, sources in the Corporation said, the civic body had passed resolutions in the Council to lay the scheme roads. It had then forwarded the resolutions with necessary documents to the Local Planning Authority for getting the funds released.
The sources also added that the Corporation officials had taken up with the LPA officials the issue of release of funds.
Councillors on conditions of anonymity said that the Corporation appeared to be not serious in getting the funds released. The Council had passed resolutions to lay 11 roads but the LPA had not released funds for even one of the 11 roads.
Only after the LPA released funds would the Corporation be able to acquire lands, for the land owners would have to be compensated. The Councillors also said that even in cases where the land owners were willing to part with the lands for no cost, the Corporation had not made any progress. The delay in implementing the scheme roads affected the city’s development, said K. Kathirmathiyon, Secretary, Coimbatore Consumer Cause. The city benefited in good measure when the then Government laid new scheme roads. It eased congestion to a great extent. If the Corporation was interested in developing the city and helping the residents, it should follow up the files with the LPA and not stop with passing resolutions in the Council, he added.
