The proposed Tamil Nadu State Highways Authority would help avoid delay in getting funds from international finance institutions to cater to the road infrastructure needs of the people, Minister for Public Works and Highways E.V. Velu said in the Assembly on Thursday.
Going by the pleas received from legislators seeking road facilities in their respective Assembly constituencies and the increasing vehicular traffic, fund allocation in Budget even for the next 10 years would not be suffice, he contended.
“Tthe requirement is more but the financial resources of the State government can’t keep up with the needs,” Mr. Velu said and further explained there was delay in getting funds from financial institutions such as World Bank and Japan International Cooperation Agency.
When the Bill was taken up for considering, Panruti MLA T. Velmurugan objected to the wordings “private sector participation” in the Bill and urged the State government to remove them. As for the concern raised by Mr. Velmurugan and PMK legislator G.K. Mani, Mr. Velu said that it was too soon to specify the distance between two toll plazas that would be under control of the Tamil Nadu State Highways Authority and that their inputs would be considered when it was decided.
