Civic infrastructure in the city will get a makeover ahead of the Global Investors Meet, the State’s showpiece event to attract investments, in January.
With 50 days to go for the event, the Chennai Corporation and other line agencies have been told to carry out beautification projects along VVIP routes, improve arterial roads, parking lots and street furniture.
Temporary amenities
“Work on cleaning, levelling, setting up parking spaces and temporary amenities will begin shortly. We will give a facelift to the places from Airport to Kathipara junction,” said a civic official.
Officials have also been instructed to make improvement to arterial roads and footpaths in VVIP routes. “Health-related intensive conservancy operations, anti-mosquito fogging and bio-larvicide spraying operation will be intensified,” said the official.
In September, the government initiated the process by sanctioning ₹6.99 crore for Alandur, where work on relaying roads, clearing bushes, desilting of drains and cleaning up of traffic islands has been taken up.
Considering the urgency of the situation, the government has now instructed agencies to step up the process with necessary procurements, promising to issue the required government orders as soon as possible.
Mobile toilets
“The main route from airport to the city needs will be illuminated further and the expenditure towards such work has been estimated. Sufficient number of mobile toilets will be set up,” another official said.
The government agencies will repaint the road margins, pedestrian crossing, replace reflective studs, repair the footpaths and centre median.
The Bus Route Road Department of the Corporation will improve roads, fix gantry girder, thermoplastic paints, studs, delineators and bus shelters at an estimate of ₹9.99 crore.
Work on improving parks along the roads will also be taken up.
“We will improve greenery, repair borewells and damaged grill of the parks,” said an official. The Electrical department will lay cables, commission new lamp posts and fit LED at an estimate of ₹1.62 crore.
Second edition
The State government conducted its first ever Global Investors Meet in 2015 when Jayalalithaa was the Chief Minister.
After postponing the event a few times, the State government will organise the second GIM on January 23 and 24.
The government will spend ₹73 crore under various categories for the conduct of the GIM.
Instructions have been given to constitute a Steering Committee, a Co-ordination Committee and an Event Management Committee to frame policies for conducting the event.
As per the minutes of the first meeting of the coordination committee for GIM 2019 held in September, parking space for 6,000 cars need to be created for the event near the Chennai Trade Centre.
