Ready to walk the last mile for Salem expressway: Tamil Nadu CM

Salem: Surprising angry farmers and his detractors alike on the proposed Salem-Chennai eight-lane 'green corridor' expressway project, Chief Minister, Mr. Edappadi K Palaniswami offered to walk the last mile "to convince each and everyone who will be affected by the project" on the need for implementing it. 

"Our information is that 89 per cent of the people (those affected) have agreed to accept this new road sector project and only 11 per cent are opposing it," Mr. Palaniswami said, speaking to reporters after a consultative meeting with AIADMK office-bearers in Omalur near here. 

"Tamil Nadu has got India's second green corridor project and in the overall interests of the people and the development of Salem region, we should not let go this opportunity," said Mr. Palaniswami even as the affected farmers continued their protest on their fields taking out small rallies against the expressway project. 

The farmers fear that the project spells total livelihood loss for them as their valuable agriculture land will be gobbled up by the NHAI. In villages like Poolavari, local farmers again on Saturday, with banner in hand, took out mini-protest marches and tied black flags on the boundary stones planted by the land survey authorities as a prelude to land acquisition for the project. 

However, Mr. Palaniswami remained unruffled and continued to defend the controversial project amid a Madras High court stay, halting the land acquisition process and related activities.  "During earlier times, only minimal compensation was paid for land acquisition for such road sector projects, but that is not the case today as the Government is more than willing to pay whatever compensation that is required to be paid to the land owners when taking their lands for the project." 

Stating that motor vehicle population was increasing day-by-day in Tamil Nadu, Mr. Palaniswami said considering that this required better road infrastructure development projects, people should see the need for implementing it. "In foreign countries, 30 years back they went in for eight-lane highways, which attracted more industrial investments and brought better living standards for the people there," Palaniswami told his detractors in defending this expressway. 

"We want to ensure such living standards for people of Tamil Nadu also," he said.  "Our intention is not to hurt anybody's interests but we are taking steps to improve the living conditions of the people," he underscored. 

Referring to criticisms that compensation to farmers had yet to be paid for the four-lane Salem-Ulundurpet-Chennai highway project, Mr. Palaniswami said the farmers contention was not factually correct on that aspect. Compensation payment was being delayed due to various cases present in courts, as they (farmers who gave their lands for that project) have sought more compensation than the prevailing guideline value of land then during previous DMK regime."  Now, the template of paying compensation has entirely changed, he stressed. 

On the Cauvery waters issue, Mr. Palaniswami said Tamil Nadu's stand was that all the basin states should abide by the final Supreme court verdict given in the appeals case. "It is a very clear judgment and all the States should comply with it," he added.