The ‘Porunai Museum’, which is being built on 13 acres of land near the Reddiyarpatti hillock on an outlay of ₹33 crore for showcasing the ancient civilization artefacts excavated at Sivakalai, Aditchanallur and Korkai, will be inaugurated before April-end, Minister for Public Works Department and Highways E.V. Velu has said.
Speaking to reporters after inspecting the ongoing construction of the museum on Wednesday, Mr. Velu said the civil work of the museum’s buildings for displaying the artefacts and the administrative building and the sanitary complex on 54,000 square feet would be completed by December-end.
After the civil work completion, interior decoration and the installation of showcases for displaying the artefacts would be taken-up. Landscaping of this campus would commence within a day or two even as collection of artefacts was going on.
Battery cars would be introduced to take the senior citizens from one building to the other on the museum campus.
“We’ve used latest construction technology for these seven aesthetically-designed buildings. Since the museum campus is coming up on sprawling premises close to the national highway, tourists including visitors from other States visiting Kanniyakumari everyday will also come to Porunai Museum. As the work is progressing ahead of schedule, we’ll complete the civil work by December and ensure the inauguration before April next year,” Mr. Velu said.
When asked about the delay in completing the Tirnelveli – Tenkasi Highway due to the incomplete rail overbridge at Paavoorchathram, Mr. Velu said the delay in land acquisition and the overbridge design approval had slowed down the work.
On the Tirunelveli west ring road, which will connect Ponnaakudi and Thaazhaiyooththu via Tharuvai on Tirunelveli – Ambasamudram Road, Abhishekapatti on Tirunelveli – Tenkasi Road and Rastha on Tirunelveli – Sankarankovil Road, the Minister informed that first phase of the work would commence this year as 90% of the land acquisition for this project had been completed. The second and third phases of the work would follow after the completion of land acquisition.
He also informed that the much-delayed Kulavanigarpuram rail overbridge project report had been under the study of the technical unit.
When asked about the toll collection in the 30-odd tollgates on the national highways including the Paranur, Krishanagiri, Sriperumpudur and Irungaattukottai tollgates in Tamil Nadu even after the mandatory period lapsed.
“If NHAI collects a nominal fee for maintenance, it will be acceptable. However, the NHAI is still collecting increased toll even after the period got over. So, I have written a letter to the Union Minister for Highways Nitin Gadkari in this connection,” Mr. Velu said.
Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker M. Appavu, District Collector K. P. Karthikeyan, Secretary, PWD, Mangat Ram Sharma and Palayamkotati MLA M. Abdul Wahab accompanied the minister during the inspection.
Published - September 04, 2024 06:28 pm IST
