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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to direct the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to issue notifications declaring eight State roads, totalling 500 km, as new national highways.
“I assure you that the State Government will extend its full cooperation to take up all the necessary improvement works in these roads in the current year itself,” he wrote. “I would like to express my sincere thanks to the Union Government for the proper upkeep and development of National Highways infrastructure in Tamil Nadu,” he added.
Stalin said MoRTH had granted ‘in-principle’ approval for the conversion of eight state highway roads into National Highways and sanctioned the preparation of detailed project reports (DPR).
The eight roads are: Thiruvannamalai-Kallakurichi (65 km); Vallioor-Tiruchendur (70 km); Kollegal-Hanur-MM Hills-Palar Road-TN Border extended upto Mettur in Tamil Nadu (30 km); Palani-Dharapuram (31 km); Arcot-Tindivanam (91 km); Mettupalayam-Bhavani (98 km); Avinashi-Mettupalayam (38 km) and Bhavani-Karur (77 km). MoRTH had approved three of these in 2016, and the rest in 2017, the letter said.
Studies by the state national highways wing are underway to prepare DPRs for the roads under the Annual Plan 2017-18. The proposals for the declaration of the roads as new national highways were presented to MoRTH in December 2018. However, the ministry is yet to issue formal notifications.
“All the above eight roads are very important roads, connecting significant pilgrimage centres like Tiruvannamalai, Tiruchendur and Palani, major trade and tourist centres. Hence, these roads need immediate improvements to fulfill the needs of the road users. I am informed that MoRTH is drawing up guidelines for development of new National Highways. However, as these eight roads have already been accorded in-principle approval, they can be notified as National Highways without waiting for the guidelines,” the letter said.
“I request you to direct MoRTH to issue requisite notifications declaring these eight state roads as new National Highways and to entrust the development works with the State Government with necessary funding,” Stalin said in the letter.
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