CHENNAI: The target for completion of the Rs 3,500-crore Maduravoyal-Chennai Port six-lane elevated corridor project is 2024, but the project whose detailed project report (DPR) has been finalised is yet to take off due to pending issues, say official sources.Sources said the DPR is ready and discussions are on whether to allow local traffic on the 20.3km proposed highway or not and issues pertaining to land acquisition and handing over of Navy land by Chennai Port Trust.
This comes as Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary K Shanmugham along with Chennai Port Chairman P Ravindran and other officials reviewed the project along with other stakeholders on Friday.National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)’s chief general manager Alok Deepankar (Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka) told Express that bids for the six-lane elevated corridor will be called only after Navy land is handed over by the port besides acquisition of government land and relocation of slums.
The alignment of the elevated highway while taking up from Chennai Port Gate No 10 is passing through Navy land in 100 metres on 1.02 hectare area. The Navy and Chennai Port have agreed to swap the land, but it is not clear whether the port has sought the clearance of ministry of defence, he said. However, Ravindran said the proposal of land swap has been forwarded to ministry of defence. One of the issues bugging is the construction of 64 residential quarters for the Navy personnel which have to be built by the port after which only Indian Navy is said to hand over the land to NHAI.
Another issue is the acquisition of 3.89 hectares of government land and Navy land for which award is yet to be passed by Competent Authority for Land Acquisition (CALA). Chennai Port has already deposited Rs 50 crore when the land acquisition process began.
The other issue which was discussed in the meeting was removal of slums for a length of 1.40km. These slums have to be relocated and slum clearance board has sought Rs 153.50 crore towards contribution from NHAI. It is learnt that Chennai Port has been asked to release the fund to slum clearance board.
Major hurdles
Bids for the elevated corridor will be called only after Navy land is handed over by the port besides acquisition of government land and relocation of slums, for which slum clearance board has sought Rs 153.50 crore