The State Government has given administration sanction and issued Government Order for land acquisition for the flyover project at Ukkadam, according to an official of the State Highways Department.
The project involves acquisition of three hectares (7.4 acres) of Government and private land and the Government has sanctioned Rs. 88.61 crore. Of this, Rs. 55 crore will be for the first year, the official said.
The department is hopeful of getting sanction for the project by the time the land acquisition is completed. A flyover at Ukkadam is one of the main infrastructure demands of the city as it is expected to ease congestion at Ukkadam junction.
The project was announced in 2011 by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa. The total project cost is expected to be Rs. 339 crore. K. Kathirmathiyon, secretary of Coimbatore Consumer Cause, says it was said that the project had small modification in design and required approval of the District Road Safety Committee.
The District Collector also wanted to convene a special meeting for it. However, the meeting was postponed thrice and it is yet to be held. The project is pending for the last five years.
Infrastructure projects should not be just on paper and should be implemented at the earliest. If land acquisition is completed soon, the project will progress at a faster pace. Hence, efforts should be taken for it.