6 years on, Thiruverumbur locals still denied service road for NH67

Trichy: Six years after the Trichy-Thanjavur stretch of NH67 was completed without laying the service road on the 14.5km stretch in Thiruverumbur, locals remain vulnerable to road accidents in its absence.
Though the state government is entitled to acquire land, residents allege that stakeholders are finding ways to prolong the preliminary works. Recently, as the judgment in the case pending with the Madurai bench of Madras High Court in deciding the width of service road between 45m and 60m was expected on November 1, the government’s counsel sought four weeks time to get instructions.

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in 2012 completed the Trichy-Thanjavur stretch of NH-67 without a service road between Palpannai and Thuvakudi covering a distance of 14.5km in Thiruverumbur. After widespread protests over recurring accidents due to the absence of service road, the state government in 2013 urged NHAI to lay a service road with a width of 60m.

While a sum of Rs 84.50 crore was deposited towards land acquisition, the state government made a u-turn by decreasing the width of the proposed service road to 45m reportedly due to opposition from commercial establishments along the stretch. NHAI sources told TOI that they are ready to lay service road even with a width of 45m but claimed that land acquisition has not been taken up by the state.

“The state government is intentionally prolonging the service road project to favour commercial establishments who will lose space and buildings if the service road becomes a reality. Needs and safety of people are not at all bothered by the authorities,” said S Subramanian, chief organiser of Federation for Retrieval of Trichy-Palpannai-Thuvakudi Service Road.

In November 2014, traders along the stretch approached the Madurai bench of Madras High Court and obtained a stay on service roadworks. However, in June 2016, the high court in an interim order vacated the stay and gave the green signal to the state government to initiate land acquisition without demolishing buildings.

When the final judgement was expected on November 1, sources said that the government’s counsel sought four weeks time to get further instructions. The development was termed by residents as a deliberate effort to delay the service roadworks. “We have sought time as the compensation to acquire land for 60m-wide service road would soar. A service road with 45m width would be sufficient as works are under way for the semi-ring road project bypassing the NH-67 stretch and would decongest the vicinity once completed,” a senior official with the state government said.

Source