Speed up land acquisition process for road projects, Minister tells officials

Minister for Highways E.V. Velu on Monday directed officials to speed up the process of land acquisition for the on-going National Highways road projects in the State.

Addressing district collectors and other senior officials during a joint review meeting with Revenue Minister K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran, Mr. Velu said that projects were stalled at different stages due to delays in acquisition. In 12 out of 17 districts taken up for review, land acquisition was the major issue.

He told officials to speak with land owners and opt for our-of-court settlement where long-pending cases are delaying projects. The Minister told officials to set deadlines for completing acquisition and work accordingly.

He told other line department officials to speed up shifting of power cables, transformers and power boxes and sewer lines that come in the way of such projects.