COIMBATORE: Motorists heaved a sigh of relief as the Food Corporation of India (FCI) has taken up road laying works at FCI Road near Ganapathy in the city after 15 years. The stretch is a connecting road between Sathymangalam Road and Avinashi Road and thousands of residents living in the busiest areas like Gandhimanagar and Avarampalayam use the road on a daily basis. The road also links Coimbatore International Airport with Vilankurichi and Codissia Road. However, the 1.5 km road is in a bad shape and turns slippery during the rainy season.
Despite the issue being raised by the corporation councillors, ministers and residential welfare associations several times, the issue had not been resolved.
P Selvaraj, District Deputy Secretary of MDMK, said, “Over 300 lorries take this road to go to the FCI godown and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), worsening the condition of the road further. We face a lot of issues and have to take alternative routes for over 4 km to reach the destination quickly. Once the road is laid, we will reach Peelamedu instead of going through Ganapathy.”
Coimbatore MP P R Natarajan said, “I had written a letter to the Minister of Food and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal last year, seeking immediate steps to restore the road and also requesting him to hand over the road to Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) for proper maintenance. However, FCI has taken up the work on its own.”
A Mariaraj, Councillor of ward 20, said that the work, which began a week ago, has been pending for a long time.
An official from the FCI said that they have been laying the concrete road at a cost of `2.7 crores after Goyal instructed them to do so and the fund is being used only for road laying work, which will be completed by the end of April.
The official also said that they have not received funds for sewage treatment and installing street lights. However, the official refused to comment on the prolonged delay in carrying out the work.