With fund availability continuing to be a challenge, the remaining 25 per cent works in widening National Highways (NH) 47 from Chengapalli to Neelambur and from Madukkarai to Walayar are progressing at a slow pace.
The concessionaire, IVRCL Infrastructure Project, needs about Rs. 260 crore to complete the project, according to a source involved in the project.
StartedThe source told The Hindu on Tuesday that the project was started in 2010 and was scheduled to be completed by March 2012.
The project for about 55 km has two phases – widening the road into a six-lane one from Chengapalli to Neelambur and into a four-lane road from Madukkarai to Walayar.
In the first phase, the main works pending are laying of bitumen concrete, erecting crash barriers, providing lights at junctions and constructing bus terminals. In the case of the second phase, works are yet to start.
The initial delay was because of land acquisition problems. The acquisition was completed in December last year and the required land is available now for the second phase. But, the concessionaire is facing financial problems.
This is one of the six projects in the State that is facing delays and needs to be expedited.
The source said that of the total project cost of Rs. 820 crore, the concessionaire has spent Rs. 600 crore.
Another Rs. 260 crore is required to complete it. Toll collection is expected to be over Rs. 25 lakh a day and it will start only when the first phase works are completed fully.
Funds availabilityThe concessionaire is expecting availability of funds shortly, the source said.
Coimbatore Consumer Cause secretary K. Kathirmathiyon said that the Government of India should have a tripartite meeting with officials of the State Government and the contractor and study the bottlenecks.
Efforts should be taken to see how funds can be made available to the concessionaire after analysing all the problems in the project.
Precautionary problems should also be taken so that infrastructure projects do not face similar problems.
