TIRUCHY: Pursuant to a discussion in the last council meeting, the corporation would within a few weeks approach the state highways department seeking to hand over to it the maintenance of stretches of those highways traversing through city limits, officials said. Mentioning that the state government will incur no financial liability from such a move as it implies only a transfer of power between its departments, officials added that the decision would also facilitate speedy maintenance of roads.
"If a state highway sustains damage, we cannot undertake maintenance. We would instead inform the state highways department which would forward the same to higher officials for sanctioning repair works. The whole process would take time, causing commuters inconvenience.
Similarly, councillors have flagged the delay in commencing blacktopping works on those portions of state highways that sustained damage during underground drainage works. [As example], they have pointed out the situation of roads near Chathiram bus stand, Vayalur Road and certain portions in KK Nagar Road,” a senior corporation official said. “The corporation cannot initiate re-laying works as we have deposited money with the state highways to undertake the same," the official added.
While sources said that the matter came up for discussion among the corporation's top brass recently, officials said that the government is also unlikely to oppose the move. "We had already requested the government to hand over the Amma Mandapam highway in Srirangam. We are expecting a positive response to it. We would soon make a request for Karur Bypass Road and other highways in city limits. The government is unlikely to oppose it as bringing more roads under one department would only improve administration," an official said.