The private firm in charge of maintaining five foot over bridges (FOB) in the city has threatened to quit if the State Highways Department does not pay Rs. 70 lakh due to them. The firm has not been paid its monthly charges for maintaining the foot over bridges with escalators at Tambaram Sanatorium (opposite MEPZ) and Chrompet on Grand southern Trunk Road, Velachery, Perungudi and near SBOA school on the Inner Ring Road. The bridges, built at a cost of Rs. 30 crore became operational in August last year.
Every month, Rs. 7 lakh is to be paid as maintenance charges to the private firm, which has to take care of the facilities for three years. “We have written several letters to the Highways Department asking for the funds but so far the money has not been released,” said a source in the firm.
State Highways Department officials said that they were awaiting funds from the Housing Department as the project was funded by the World Bank through the Tamil Nadu Urban Infrastructure Financial Services Limited.
Every day, over 43,500 persons use the Chrompet facility and 28,000 use the one near MEPZ. The three FOBs at Anna Nagar Velachery are used by over 2,500 persons daily.
