Chennai: The Madras high court has ordered notice to Central government and National Highways Authority of India on a petition opposing the proposed Rs 20,000 crore Bangaluru-Chennai Expressway. The division bench Comprising Justices M. Venugopal and M. Nirmal Kumar, before which the petition from S. Gnanasekaran of West Tambaram, came up for hearing on Friday, issued notice to assistant solicitor general Karthikeyan representing Central government. The judge posted the matter for further hearing to August 9, 2018.
According to petitioner the proposed Bangaluru-Chennai Expressway will save only 20 km and it is unnecessary burden of Rs 20 000 crore on the exchequer. Instead of going ahead with the present project the government can improve the present NH 7 Bengaluru to Krishnagiri.
Detailing about the existing two highways from Chennai to Bengaluru he said that one highway passing crossing Kolar, Chittor, Ranipet is only 335 km and another route is only 349 km whereas the NHAI authorities erroneously calculated the distance as 372 km and proposed the project for 349 km.
Even as people do not face any hardship with the existing highways, Union ministry of road transport and highways had issued a notification for the acquisition of lands under 3A(1) of NH Act in Sriperumbudur taluk, Kancheepuram district. The Principal Accountant General, Chennai, in a report, had noted that the new project is not a viable one.
In the report the Principal Accountant General had also mentioned that for the purpose of reducing only 20 km, near about 455.85 acres of lands would be utilized in the Kancheepuram district only. He stated that he sent a detailed representation to Central government and NHAI on July 4, 2018, requesting to halt the land acquisition move and to give up the project.
