CM orders release of Rs 2,200 crore for developing urban roads

Chennai: Chief Minister M K Stalin ordered the release of Rs 2,200 crore as special fund for the development of roads in all urban local bodies in the State, which would take the total allocation for improving 20,990 km of roads in various Corporations, Municipalities and town panchayats to Rs 9,588 crore, an official press release said on Wednesday.

The move would address the major criticism  faced by the government now in view of the roads turning bumpy and potholed following the rains and also the work carried out to repair storm water drains and underground drainage systems.

As the first step in the implementation of the scheme to lay quality roads in all urban areas, work would start in 2023 by spending Rs 5,140 crore to repair and develop 12,061 km long roads, the press release said, adding that Rs 1,171 crore of it would be spent for 1680 km roads in Chennai, Rs 2,535 crore for 7116 km in other Corporations and Municipalities and Rs 1434 crore for 3,265 km in town panchayats.

The Chief Minister had on October 19, 2020, made an announcement at the State Assembly under Rule 110 that roads, running to thousands of kilometers, in urban areas damaged by the work on laying underground sewage systems and water pipelines would be repaired and renovated.

He had announced that various allocations made by the Singara Chennai 2.0 scheme, State Finance Commission Subsidy Plan Fund, Kalaignar Urban Development Scheme and NABARD bank financial assistance scheme would be integrated and the total fund of Rs 7,338 crore would be used to develop 16,390 km of roads in Corporations, Municipalities and Town Panchayats.

Adding the government’s special fund of Rs 2,200 to that, the development of 20,990 km of road would be taken up in 2023. The rest of the urban roads would be developed in the next two years, which would make the road infrastructure of the State reaching world standards.

The government has appointed the Tamil Nadu Urban Fund and Infrastructure Development Corporation (TUFIDCO) as the nodal agency for the road development project and it would ensure that the roads were of the best quality, the release said.