Dayanidhi Maran urges Gadkari for necessary funds to repair Chennai-Bengaluru Highway

Flagging the poor state of the Chennai-Bengaluru Highway and the “paltry sum” allocated by the Union Ministry for Road Transport and Highways for repairs, DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran on Friday wrote to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari requesting to allocate necessary resources to ensure safety and operational standards.

“The current situation is untenable and demands immediate corrective action to prevent further accidents and loss of life. The people of Tamil Nadu and commuters along the Chennai-Bengaluru corridor deserve a safe and reliable highway that meets the standards expected of a national transportation artery,” Mr. Maran said in his representation to the Union Minister.

Despite being one of the most vital transport corridors in South India, this stretch has “become notorious for accidents, due in large part to unsafe road conditions and inadequate maintenance,” he charged. Though the Union government had in 2020 announced that it would undertake repair works along this corridor, the recent allocation of a mere Rs. 8 crore for repairs was a gross underestimation of the resources required, he said.

It lacked basic safety measures, such as proper barricades, reflective markers and lighting, which are essential to ensure driver safety, the former Union Minister said. “Potholes, dim lighting, and hazardous diversions have led to frequent accidents, causing not only severe inconvenience but also risking the lives of countless motorists daily.”

He further pointed out that annual toll collections amount to a staggering Rs. 140 crores from toll plazas at Sriperumbudur and Kancheepuram, “none of this revenue was being reinvested in necessary maintenance”. This lack of reinvestment, coupled with inadequate funding, was deeply concerning and shatters the faith of citizens in the Ministry, he charged.

Published - November 16, 2024 01:02 am IST