Two years on, phase II of ORR still incomplete
CHENNAI: Two decades have passed by, and yet Chennai is struggling to complete its Outer Ring Road. Legal wrangles, delays in paying compensation to land owners, and lack of progress in land acquisition has left the project in a limbo.
While the first phase of 29.2km of the project from Vandalur to Nemilichery, has been completed and opened for traffic, the second phase of 33.10km from Nemilichery to Minjur is facing hurdles in the final stages.
It is learnt that compensation to land owners has been delayed under Phase-I, and officials are blaming it on lack of staff. Similarly, for the second phase -- for which 99 per cent of the project has been completed -- there is only one staff handling the court cases as well passing the awards under the land acquisition.
Not only that, the land acquisition process is yet to be completed. The project is also being monitored by the Prime Minister’s Office and was taken up recently at the highest level. Of the 22 villages for which land has been acquired in Thiruvallur district under the second phase, the acquisition of land under National Highway Act has been published for nine villages only.
It is learnt that the District Revenue Officer, Land Acquisition, ORR, has written to the government to accelerate the pending land acquisition process so as to avert financial constraints to government. He has urged the district administrations in Kancheepuram and Thiruvallur to provide staff in the cadre of Tahsildar and Revenue Assistants as per the posts accorded in Government Orders. The first and second phase of the ORR Project got administrative sanction in 1995 and 1998.
The land was acquired by Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) through its funds and the cost will be recovered through built, operate and transfer basis. While the first phase cost the exchequer Rs 1081.40 crore, the second phase cost Rs 1,075 crore. But the major concern is the delay over the project. Last year, CMDA, which failed to pay enhanced compensation to 17 landowners as ordered by Madras High Court, moved the SC against the order.
Madras HC has ordered enhanced compensation to be paid to 17 land owners for acquiring 8.23 hectares of land in Nemilicheri village.
Initially, the land value, was fixed at `670 per cent in 2002 but the land owners appealed for re-determination of land value at subordinate court, which enhanced it to `43,560. While the land acquisition was opposed by the tahsildar, it was turned down by Madras HC and the State sanctioned a sum of `87.53 lakh.
Delay in 2nd phase
While the first phase of 29.2km of the project has been completed and opened for traffic, the second phase of 33.10km from Nemilichery to Minjur is facing hurdles in the final stages