TN seeks Rs 4,500 crore from Urban Development Ministry

Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, who is on a two-day visit to Chennai to get a first-hand account on the impact of floods, called on Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa at the Secretariat here. The CM drew his attention on the extensive damage caused to roads, drinking water, sewerage and storm water drainage systems in flood-affected urban local bodies, an official release said. “The urban local bodies, including Chennai Corporation would require substantial assistance for restoration. Preliminary estimates of the requirement exceed Rs 4,500 crore,” Jayalalithaa was quoted.

Observing that the local bodies cannot rely on “own source of tax revenue” for taking up restoration work, she urged Naidu to grant a Rs 4,500 crore special package of assistance. Jayalalithaa pointed out that the slum dwellers living on the city’s waterways in Adyar, Cooum, Buckingham Canal have lost homes and belongings in the floods. “They are all currently housed in relief centres. CM emphasised that rehabilitating the slum dwellers is the highest priority of the government,” the release said.

The extension of Chennai Metro Rail Phase I from Washermanpet to Tiruvottriyur has been approved by the Ministry of Urban Development and sent to the Public Investment Board in the Ministry of Finance for clearance.

Venkaiah Naidu was responding to the CM when she reiterated the request for speedy approval of the extension of the Phase I of the Metro Rail corridor from Washermanpet to Tiruvottriyur at a cost of Rs.3,770 crore which was pending with the Government of India. 

The CM told Naidu that during the floods, a large number of passengers had used the Metro Rail. She also reiterated that it was, therefore, necessary to expand the services of public transportation including the Metro Rail system.

Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said the time has come to take action against encroachments on water bodies and there is an urgent need to tackle it in an effective manner. 

“One lesson what we have to learn (from the devastating floods in Chennai), is encroachments. I am being very frank about it, and I am speaking in a blunt manner. As an Urban Development Minister, I have gone through the entire issue in great detail,” Naidu told reporters after calling on Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa at the Secretariat, here. The Union Minister said that he had spoken about encroachments in rivers, Cooum, Buckingham Canal, in Chennai to Jayalalithaa. Naidu said, “We have to tackle this problem in an effective manner. It is not only in Tamil Nadu, it is also happening in Andhra Pradesh.”