Greenfield Highway issue once again echoes in TN assembly

The Salem-Chennai greenfield highway issue today once again echoed in Tamil Nadu Assembly, with the government seeking to allay any apprehensions over the Rs 10,000 crore project.

Chief Minister K Palaniswami said while claims were being made about large-scale land acquisition for the Central project, "only required land will be acquired" and that some persons were "giving false information" about the project to "block" it.

The Greenfield highway was a 'special initiative' by the government to ensure an accident-free highway, he said.

"There is no need for panic.Some persons are giving false information (on land acquisition) only (with the intention) to block the project," he said intervening during a debate.

The Chief Minister said those parting with land would be adequately compensated as per the new land acquisition law and assured to extend government assistance towards construction of state's solar-powered green houses in select cases.

Collectors of districts which the proposed eight lane highway is set to cover were holding talks with stakeholders concerned in this regard and "many of them have come forward to provide their land for the project," he said.

Yesterday, Palaniswami had asserted in the Assembly that the project would boost economic growth and its gains far outweighed other factors.

He had said that the Mumbai-Pune and Delhi-Agra expressways led to industrial growth in Pimpri-Chinchwad and Greater Noida regions respectively.

Similarly, the new project in Tamil Nadu, sanctioned by the Centre after much persuasion, would open up new opportunities for industrial growth in the backward regions of Dharmapuri and Tiruvannamalai districts, he said.