Govt. to avail ₹22 cr. as loan from NABARD for road projects

Public Works Department looks to decongest the town, prevent traffic

With the government finding it difficult to generate any revenue, the Public Works Department has decided to avail a loan to the tune of ₹22 crore from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) for road infrastructure projects.

The utility plans to obtain loan from NABARD to improve the condition of the main arterial road from the Anna Statue to Indira Gandhi Square on Maraimalai Adigal Salai and provide two link roads connecting Villupuram and Cuddalore Main Road.

“Since it is difficult to raise money internally for these projects, we thought of availing the loan from NABARD. The Lt. Governor has given administrative sanction for availing the loan. The tendering process for link roads has already commenced,” Minister for Public Works A. Namassivayam told The Hindu. The projects will pave the way for decongesting the town and preventing traffic on national highways, he added.

According to a senior PWD official, the road improvement work on the stretch from Anna Statue to Indira Gandhi Square will certainly decongest the New Bus Stand area. The government plans to avail around ₹7.38 crore from NABARD for the project, he said.

“The road will be redesigned to ease traffic congestion and avoid accidents, particularly by raising the height of the median. The 2-km stretch will be retarred to load carrying capacity,” said the official.

Along with road improvement works on the stretch, the utility will also lay additional drains from Anna Nagar to Indira Gandhi Square. The laying of drains will bring a permanent solution to flooding during rains at I.G. Square, the official said.

As part of decongesting the town and its suburban areas, the works utility also plans to construct two important link roads — one from Murungapakkam to Villianur and another from Moolakulam to Moolakadi. The link road will connect Cuddalore and Villupuram roads. Both projects will cost around ₹15 crore, the official added.

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