‘Focus on improving existing roads’

MADURAI

The Tamil Nadu government must focus on improving existing roads instead of pushing for Salem-Chennai eight-lane highway by acquiring thousands of acres of land against the will of the people, said Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president S. Thirunavukkarasar here on Sunday.

Condemning the State government for forcibly acquiring the land and arresting those voicing their opinion against the project, Mr. Thirunavukkarasar, who was addressing the media here, said several villages without adequate road facilities could be given priority instead of spending ₹10,000 crore for the eight-lane highway.

On the first anniversary of the launch of GST, he said the GST had only worsened the situation for businesses. No other country had a tax slab as high as 28% in the GST regime, he said.

He also criticised the BJP-led government at the Centre for ‘cheating’ people with false assurances of bringing back black money stashed away in Swiss banks.