Minister orders probe into poor quality of road

Union Minister of State for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Pon. Radhakrishnan has ordered an enquiry by officials from the Chennai regional office of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MRTH) into the poor quality of road laid for a distance of 50 metres from Kuzhithurai bridge to Vettuvenni near Marthandam on National Highway 47.

The Minister summoned Regional Officer of the MRTH D.S. Aravind and Chief Engineer C. Thangamuthu of Department of Highways of the State government to New Delhi on Thursday.

V. Shastri, Superintending Engineer (designate), MRTH, took samples from the stretch under controversy.

A. Balasubramani, Divisional Engineer, Department of Highways, Tirunelveli, told

The Hindu that Mr. Shastri took samples from three places on Thursday and he would submit a report on the quality of the road.

Enquiries revealed that the stretch was laid by the contractor on the eve of ‘Sivalaya Ottam’ in which thousands of devotees passed by the Sastha Temple.

Added to this was movement of many vehicles that resulted in damage to the road. However, the road was re-laid the next day as per specifications, officials claimed.