NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu has finally come on board to sign a state support agreement (SSA) with the Centre to provide formal support to national highway projects in the state – a move that is set to revive investor sentiment.
The state has also agreed to revive four-lane elevated road from Chennai Port to Maduravoyal – a big ticket expressway project stalled since March 2012 when the state had raised objections over its aligment.
Tamil Nadu’s additional chief secretary Dr. Rajeev Ranjan wrote to Union Road Transport and Highways Secretary Sanjay Mitra and NHAI Chairman Yudhvir Singh Malik on Wednesday requesting the Centre to prepare the SSA for “necessary approval and signing” of the state.
In a separate letter on December 2, Dr. Ranjan asked the Centre to carry out study on revised alignment proposed by the state related to construction of the Chennai Port-Maduravoyal Expressway.
All other states, except Tamil Nadu, has signed the SSA with the Centre which is an umbrella agreement which when put in place ensures timely implementation of highway projects under the public private partnership (PPP) model.
For national highway projects, the state government’s support is required in land acquisition, providing right of way, removal of encroachments, shifting of utilities, rehabilitation, local law and order and providing assistance to the National Highways Authority of India and the project developers.
“Tamil Nadu had been hesitant to sign the SSA in the past leading to hurdles related to execution of several national highway projects. This move will expedite highways development in the state as it will become signatory in the national highway projects,” said a senior Road Transport and Highways Ministry official, on conditions of anonymity.
Since 2009, the Centre has been sending multiple reminders to Tamil Nadu to sign the agreement for execution of highway projects and Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari had been putting in strong requests to the state government since coming to power in May 2014.
