The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : State Government is not cooperating, says Baalu

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 28, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

State Government is not cooperating, says Baalu

Special Correspondent

"The implementation of several Central schemes pending"

CHENNAI: : Union Shipping, Road Transport and Highways Minister T. R.Baalu on Tuesday criticised the State Government for "non-cooperation" in the implementation of several Central schemes.

Responding to Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's observations in the Assembly on Monday, he said that in 2000-01, the Centre had given permission for cleaning of rivers in major cities and towns of the State at a cost of Rs. 1,111 crores, under the National River Conservation Project. The project should have been completed in 2003-04. But it was progressing at a "snail's pace."

As for the national highway development projects, Tamil Nadu lagged others in land acquisition, though the Chief Minister said 40 special wings had been set up. "Why has not the Government handed over to the Centre 1,000 sqkm of land for laying four lanes on 3,000 km of national highways out of a total of 4,212 km," he asked.

On the Tuticorin port expansion project, Mr. Baalu said it was on the direction of the Madras High Court that a public hearing was held. The Tuticorin Port Trust approached the court because the State had not taken steps for holding a public hearing. "When the matter came up, did the court not say whether it could order deployment of the Central Reserve Police Force (for peaceful conduct of the hearing)."

Mr. Baalu said he and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M. Karunanidhi took up with the Centre a plan to set up an auto-testing centre near Chennai.

Referring to Ms. Jayalalithaa's statement that her opposition to the Sethusamudram project was based on the opinion of experts, Mr. Baalu asked her why she had not yet made public the recommendations of an experts team headed by M. Ravindran and the constitution of the team. "Has the State Government sent any communication to the Centre before the commencement of work or after the receipt of the experts' advice? Has it given its suggestions for environmental protection measures," the Minister asked.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu