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Saturday, 25 July 2015 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Union Government is planning to conduct a feasibility study for the Rs. 23,000 crore road connectivity between India and Sri Lanka, which the centre is proposing.
Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari said that the Government was considering the establishment of road connectivity between India and Sri Lanka.
He was speaking after laying foundation stones of the National Highway projects in Madurai and at Suchindram in Kanyakumari District last week.
The Indian Government is planning a big flyover connecting Rameshwaram to Sri Lanka. Gadkari said he had already held discussions with the Chairman of Asian Development Bank in this regard and the bank was ready to finance it.
The Minister said this project was a part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of provisioning of road connectivity to neighbouring countries. The Minister laid foundation stones for 10 road development projects for Tamil Nadu worth Rs. 3,000 crore.
Gadkari announced that the work on the multi-crore Colachel International Transhipment terminal would begin soon. He also stated that the feasibility study on the project, which would provide a fillip to the economy of the state, had already been completed.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha has assured that the State would extend full support to the project, he added.
The Union Minister also announced Rs 10,000 crore worth new road projects for Tamil Nadu for the current financial year and said the Centre would sanction 571 km of new highways in the State under the Bharat Mala project connecting district headquarters with existing National Highways.
Besides, 81 km road would be developed under the project connecting places of religious tourism. He said the four-lane work of Kanyakumari to Kerala border in the National Highway 47 would be taken up this year itself with a total outlay of Rs. 850 crore.
Farmers would be provided compensation as per the provisions of the new Land Acquisition Act. Stating that land acquisition was a major hurdle for road development, he pointed out that the Centre was ready to give Rs 1,000 crore to neighbouring Kerala. But land is a major problem there. He pointed out that in such a situation the potential of water transport must be harnessed to the maximum.
(Business Standard)
