In yet another instance of the DMK’s propaganda going bust, Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari exposed the DMK government’s incompetency when DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran tried to blame the Central Government for the condition of the Chennai – Bengaluru highway.
DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran had raised a question during the Question Hour of the Lok Sabha on 9 February 2023.
In his question to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, the DMK MP said “We’ve been making a severe request for you. Sir, recently I had the opportunity to travel to Ranipet from Chennai. The roads are pathetic. All the land has been given by the State Government. The expansion work.. (fumbles). But your contractors have gone to the court. For the last four years sir, the Chennai – Bengaluru highway is in a mess. It takes nearly four and a half hours to cross 100 kilometers (sic). It’s in a very pathetic state.”
Trying to shift the blame on the Centre, he said “Sir, I know you will come and tell me that is because all the contractors have gone to court. Sir, what is this process? How do you overcome it? Why should a common man or why should the people of Tamil Nadu suffer because your contractors and your people are not able to ensure that these contractors fall in line? Sir, please ensure that these projects are completed on time. Thank you sir.”
Responding to the DMK MP, the Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways said that he recently had the opportunity to visit the site and found that the problem did not lie with the Centre but with the State Government.
“Here I need your cooperation for that. Aggregate is not available. Sometimes, the permission is given for 3 months. After 3 months, again to get new permission it is a difficult task. Then there is no permission for mining. So, there is a big problem. How we can make the roads? Land acquisition is a problem, environment and forest clearance is not there.”, Minister Gadkari said.
He also noted that the roads on the Karnataka side is good while the condition of the roads on the Tamil Nadu side is bad because of the above factors.
“In Tamil Nadu, we don’t have land, we don’t have clearances. Then how the contractor can work? That is a big problem.”, Minister Gadkari added.
The Minister also said “I want to work for Tamil Nadu. We have lot of projects. Many times I’ve explained to the Hon’ble Member of Parliament and many times I’ve given my representation to the Hon’ble Chief Minister also that without land, without clearance, how is it possible for us to construct roads?”
The Minister said that he wants to complete the pending work by December 2023 which will considerably reduce travel time between Chennai-Bengaluru. He noted that work on Bengaluru to Mysore stretch is completed.
The Minister thanked the DMK MP for bringing the issue to light and assured support while asking for cooperation from Tamil Nadu MPs for highways work.
Tamil Nadu BJP President K. Annamalai came down heavy on the DMK MP saying that the Parliament is not a DMK stage to peddle lies continuously.
This is not a DMK stage to continuously peddle lies & knocking at the wrong doors won't help either!
Hon Minister of Road, Transport & Highways, Thiru @nitin_gadkari avl gives a befitting reply to the lies unleashed by Gopalapuram family member & DMK MP Thiru @Dayanidhi_Maran. pic.twitter.com/ONpe2YsRk2
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) February 10, 2023
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