4 months ago
2
The Greater Chennai Corporation’s (GCC) program to undertake ₹100-crore worthy of roadworthy works up of the announcement of dates for the 2026 Assembly predetermination has raised questions implicit whether the relaying tin beryllium taken up and completed.
Residents raised concerns that officials whitethorn soon beryllium engaged for poll-related work, and authorities whitethorn not beryllium capable to commence enactment erstwhile the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) comes into force.
Coordination concerns
According to a elder GCC official, the enactment orders have been issued. As per documents shared by the Bus Route Roads Department, GCC has identified 489 roads, including 97 autobus way roads, with a full magnitude of 96,300 metres.
Works connected these roads are to beryllium taken up connected a high-priority basis under 2 tenders, astatine a tentative estimation of ₹100.5 crore.
The authoritative said arsenic determination was an acute shortage of funds, the archetypal program to interval tenders worthy ₹486 crore for roadworthy relaying was scaled down. Loans would beryllium availed from the Tamil Nadu Urban Development Fund for relaying high-priority roads that volition beryllium identified aft inspection, the authoritative added.
A information of Patel Road is slated for relaying, but GCC officials volition soon beryllium engaged successful poll-related work, making coordination difficult, said Raghukumar Choodamani of the Perambur Neighbourhood Forum.
“Roads should past astatine slightest for 3 years, but this lane has worn-off wrong months and is repeatedly restored lone successful parts,” helium claimed.
The dilapidated stormwater drain should person been restored first, but the roadworthy was laid a fewer months earlier the 2024 Lok Sabha election. When milling was done connected this roadworthy earlier, locals had asked officials to reconsider relaying the road, Raghukumar said. He besides urged authorities to prosecute with locals and amended inter-agency coordination earlier starting enactment to debar repeated digging and relaying of roads. Manapakkam councillor P. Usharani Pandiyan of the AIADMK said, though relaying has present been proposed, determination would beryllium small clip to finalise the tender floated and statesman work.
Ayanavaram councillor T.V. Shemmozhi of the DMK said specified issues bash occur, but could beryllium avoided if each contractor for roadworthy relaying owns the indispensable machinery and is assigned a maximum of 20 roads each.
Lack of approvals
“Mahatma Gandhi Nagar and Sivasakthi Nagar successful Kolathur person not had due roads for astir 3 decades. The underground pipeline for sewage disposal started a fewer weeks ago, but enactment has not happened for the past mates of days,” said Kolathur Resident Welfare Association Secretary M. Murthy.
“When Chief Minister M.K. Stalin visited the constituency recently, petitions were submitted done the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)]. Yet, section authorities said caller roads for these places person not been approved,” helium alleged.
R. Jayaraman, CPI(M) councillor from Ward 4 successful Tiruvottiyur, said that lone 3 of the 36 roads helium had projected for relaying were approved astatine an estimated outgo of ₹70 lakh.
“By the extremity of February oregon the archetypal week of March, the predetermination docket and Model Code of Conduct dates are apt to beryllium announced. If roadworthy enactment starts lone earlier that, past determination is simply a anticipation of finishing it. But tenders person not been finalised yet,” helium said.
