COIMBATORE: Four months after land identification and fund allocation for the construction of Tamil Nadu's first Medical Devices Testing Laboratory, the work has been stalled due to pending paperwork.
The project is now stuck awaiting approval from the Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP). As the land earmarked for the project inside the Coimbatore Medical College campus is located within two kilometres of the airport, clearance from the Airport Authority of India (AAI) has been sought for approval.
"Even though the building is planned as a single-storey structure, the area comes under the airport zone (red zone), so the approval is mandatory for construction, which is delaying the work," said an official.
The state government had identified one acre of land on the campus of Coimbatore Medical College (CMC) on Avinashi Road near Hope College for establishing the laboratory, which was announced in December 2024.
Though land identification faced several hurdles, Rs 8 crore for construction was transferred to the PWD before March 2026 to prevent the funds from lapsing. The state Assembly election was another reason for the delay. Even after the tender process was completed, the project was again delayed as the new government ordered a complete review of projects, stalling necessary administrative clearances and fund releases from the Public Works Department (PWD).
PWD officials said they have been instructed to start construction only after completing all necessary paperwork and obtaining clearances. The delay may extend for a few more months.
"Usually, government construction projects are started once the tender process is completed. Paperwork like DTCP approvals are obtained simultaneously. In many projects, approvals are obtained in the final stage of construction. However, in this project, the PWD is insisting that work will start only after getting all approvals, which is delaying the entire project. We are speaking with them to speed up the work," said an official from the Health Department.