Minister for Public Works and Highways E.V. Velu on Thursday advised District Collectors to prioritise land acquisition process for completing road laying works.
Mr. Velu reviewed works progressing under the departments in Salem, Namakkal, Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts in presence of Tourism Minister M. Mathiventhan, Collectors S. Karmegham (Salem), Shreya P. Singh (Namakkal), S. Divyadarshini (Dharmapuri), V. Jaya Chandra Bhanu Reddy (Krishnagiri), department officials, MLAs and MPs from the four districts here. He said measures were being taken to expand the existing two-lane and four-lane roads here.
Road works were getting delayed at many places due to delay in land acquisition. The Collectors of the four districts had been advised to prioritise land acquisition process and review its progress every week, Mr. Velu told presspersons.
The Chief Minister had instructed to improve 10,000 km of roads in villages. “Most of these roads are under Panchayat Union or village panachayats and they will be identified and improved,” he said.
To prevent delay in construction of rail overbridges, a coordination committee would be formed to prepare a list of pending works and necessary measures would be taken.
He said it was part of the DMK’s manifesto to expand two-lane roads to four-lanes and four-lane roads to six-lanes. Estimates were being prepared by the departments. He added that estimates were also being readied by officials to lay bypass roads in urban areas and municipalities.
Mr. Velu said there were only two lanes at eight places on the Salem-Ulundurpet National Highway and this was leading to accidents. Discussions would be held with respective departments and with Union Minister Nithin Gadkari and measures would be taken to lay four-lane roads at those spots as well, he said.
To conduct quality control checks on roads, 25 places had been identified across Tamil Nadu. If the roads were found to be of poor quality, action would be taken against the contractors and officials concerned, the Minister said.
Regarding toll collection on highways, he said the State would write to the Centre to reduce toll fee.
Mr. Velu later inspected the construction works for rail overbridge at Mulluvadi level crossing and the progress of works at Advanced Institute for Integrated Research on Livestock and Animal Sciences in Thalaivasal.
