Trade and industry representatives in Nagapattinam districts are annoyed over stagnancy in Thanjavur-Nagapattinam road widening project.
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Originally planned as a four-lane project, the land procurement was also carried out with that plan. However, National Highways Authority of India later downgraded the stretch to a two-way highway with paved shoulders.
The work was put in cold storage for long and the public in all three districts of Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam expected the new DMK regime to give a push to the project, since, as per the original plan, the project also provided a link to Central University of Tamil Nadu, which was brought to Tiruvarur at the initiative of late DMK leader M. Karunanidhi, said trade and industry representatives in the delta region.
“The project has a bearing on the economic development of the region as timely transport of products is a vital factor for development," said Ramalingam, a trader in Tiruvarur district.
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“The delay in execution of the project by more than 10 years has caused resentment among the people. Ideally, the stretch must be four-laned as per the original plan,” V. Ramachandiran, president of Nagapattinam District Small and Tiny Industries Association said.
According to official sources, NHAI had taken up four-laning of the stretch in 2009. It subsequently restructured the project to two lanes with paved shoulders in 2012-13. But the work remained incomplete for several years after the original concessionaire abandoned it. Subsequently, fresh tenders were awarded but not much no progress was achieved.
Nevertheless, farmer producer organisations exuded hope that the State government would give a push to the project in the wake of its announcement in the Budget for developing the Tiruchi-Nagapattinam stretch as agro-industrial corridor.