The Union Minister of Shipping, Road Transport & Highways, Thiru T.R. Baalu has said that there is a greater need to give special attention to the safety aspects relating to the interchanges and flyovers being constructed by NHAI within the cities and on stretches approaching the major cities.
He said this while chairing a review meeting relating to the National Highway Projects being executed in and around Chennai here today. The Minister directed that the high mast lighting should be provided on all important flyovers and interchanges at the National Highways being developed by NHAI in the country. On the issue of high energy tariff for the operation of these lighting arrangements, the Minister stated that he would take up the issue of energy tariff with the Chief Ministers of all the States and Union Territories for making tariff rates for this purpose at par with the tariff being charged for installation supplies to the local bodies.
With regard to the Chennai projects, the Minister directed the NHAI officials for additional deployment of labour and machines for the early execution of these projects. With a view to achieve accelerated implementation of the projects of interchange at Kathipara and Padi and improvement at Koyambedu, Airport approaches, NH-4 and Chennai by-pass, Thiru Baalu directed the Secretary (Road Transport & Highways) Shri Vijay Singh and the Chairman, NHAI Shri Pradeep Kumar to undertake a joint inspection of the project areas with the top management officials of the contracting firm, Supervision Consultant and the State Government officials to resolve the issues relating to the execution of projects and pending problems responsible for the delay.
The Minister directed NHAI authorities to have more frequent reviews of the NHAI to ensure that slippages if any could be plugged in time and projects are executed within the given schedule.