TAMIL NADU URBAN DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

The Tamil Nadu Urban Development Project works were contemplated in 10 Major Cities and Towns viz., Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore, Trichy, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Tiruppur, Salem, Erode, and Vellore with World Bank loan assistance. One of the components of Tamil Nadu Urban Development Project is Traffic and Transportation Management Programme (TRAMP), which is being implemented by Tamil Nadu Urban Development Project wing of H&RW Department from 1988-89 onwards. The World Bank aid was stopped on 30.9.97. The residual works are being continued with state funds.

So far 33 works have been completed with the World Bank loan assistance and the funds provided by the State Government. The balance 4 works are in progress.

The Budget provision for 2000–2001 is Rs.40.49 Lakhs.

RURAL ROADS PROGRAMME WITH LOAN ASSISTANCE FROM NABARD

Villages are the life blood of our Nation. Rural Roads are the life stream of these villages. Agriculture is the main profession in most of the villages in Tamil Nadu. Hence, it is very much necessary and essential to improve all village roads to all weather roads (Upto B.T.), so as to enable the village people to transport their agricultural products speedily to the nearby towns. The roads are improved upto B.T. level under the following schemes.

a) Rural Roads Scheme.

b) Special Component Plan Scheme.

c) Bus Route improvement scheme

a) RURAL ROADS SCHEME:

The criteria followed for taking up works under this scheme are:

1. The Village population should be more than 1000.
2. The prescribed road length shall be more than 1.60 Km.
3. The village should not have been connected by any other B.T.Road.

Connectivity to Villages having population between 500 – 1000 as per 1991 census have been taken up. During the year 1999–2000 an amount of Rs.68.49 Crores was provided in the budget (with loan assistance from NABARD) for improving 456 Km and construction of 11 bridges under RIDF.IV. This will give connectivity to 240 villages having population between 500 – 1000. These works are in good progress. The bridges are programmed to be completed before December 2000.

During the year 2000–2001, improvement to 390 Km of roads and 12 bridges will be taken up to give connectivity to 96 villages having population between 500 – 1000 with loan assistance under RIDF.V of NABARD. This includes 5 bridges in Vellore district and 1 bridge in Dharmapuri District under Inter State Road Development between Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

The Budget provision for 2000–2001 is Rs.37.37 Crores.

b) SPECIAL COMPONENT PLAN WITH LOAN

ASSISTANCE FROM NABARD

This scheme provides road connectivity to villages having more than 50% of Adi-Dravidar Population. During 1999-2000 a sum of Rs.30.34 Crores as budgetary provision (under loan assistance from NABARD) to improve 203.00 Km of roads and 11 bridges under RIDF.IV to give connectivity with all weather roads for 100 villages having population between 500 – 1000 was provided. These works are in good progress. The bridges are programmed to be completed before December 2000.

During the year 2000–2001, improvement to 220 Km of roads and 5 bridges is to be taken up to give connectivity to 44 villages having population between 500 – 1000 with loan assistance under RIDF.V of NABARD.

The budget provision for 2000–2001 is Rs.19.90 Crores.

c) BUS ROUTE IMPROVEMENTS SCHEME WITH LOAN ASSISTANCE FROM NABARD

Under this scheme the Panchayat Union roads on which buses are plying for more than three years are taken up for improvements as B.T. roads.

During 1999–2000, under RIDF.IV, Rs.41.17 Crores was provided as budgetary allocation with loan assistance from NABARD to improve 348 Km of roads and construction of 10 bridges. All these works are in good progress. The bridges are programmed to be completed before December 2000.

During the year 2000–2001, improvement to 440 Km of roads and construction of 12 bridges is to be taken up with loan assistance under RIDF.V of NABARD.

All the roads taken up under the above three schemes are improved to Other District Road Standards.

The Budget provision for 2000–2001 is Rs.32.73 Crores.

RURAL ROADS TO MARKET CENTRES UNDER TAMIL NADU AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

This project envisages improvements to 859 Km of roads leading to 23 Marketing Centres in nine districts (viz. Kanchipuram, Vellore, Salem, Villupuram, Perambalur, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Tiruchirapalli, and Nagapattinam) at a total cost of Rs.109 Crores under World Bank Loan Assistance. This Project is nearing completion.

REHABILITATION OF FLOOD AND CYCLONE DAMAGED ROADS AND BRIDGES UNDER TAMIL NADU AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

Rehabilitation and Renovation of Flood and Cyclone damaged 12 road works and 24 bridges have been taken up at a cost of Rs.21.00 Crores. This project is nearing completion.

8. SPECIAL ROADS PROGRAMMES

SUGARCANE ROAD DEVELOPMENT SCEHME

Under this scheme, the formation and improvement of Road works in Sugar Mill Area have been taken up from Sugarcane Cess Fund. So far, a total length of 1366 km roads are formed, improved and are being maintained. These roads were classified as Government Other District Roads and taken up for maintenance. Of this, it is proposed to improve and upgrade 620.23 Km of Sugarcane roads at a cost of Rs.31.23 Crores during the current year.

EASTERN GHATS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

The Government of India have launched this new programme under Ninth Five Year Plan with an outlay of Rs.35.00 Crores covering components like soil conservation, Horticulture, Forestry, Tribal Supportive Programme, Ecological studies and Eco-Development plan, Environmental Protection, Roads, Remote-sensing studies etc., of which the component "Roads" relates to Highways Department. Under this "Roads" component, an outlay of Rs.2.64 Crores has been provided in Ninth Five Year Plan. The roads to be improved under this programme are being identifie

WESTERN GHATS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

The Government of India in its Ninth Five Year Plan have fixed an outlay of Rs.50.07 Lakhs as central assistance, and given directions to the Government of Tamil Nadu to formulate proposals to the tune of Rs.86.65 Lakhs for the entire plan period. The scheme shall be implemented in seven districts, viz., Erode, Coimbatore, Dindigul, Theni, Virudhunagar, Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari. During 1999–2000, 3 road works at a cost of Rs.50 Lakhs have been sanctioned and these are in good progress.

HILL AREA DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

The Government of India have fixed an outlay of Rs.124.05 Crores as special central assistance for Ninth Five Year Plan for implementing this scheme in Nilgiris District with several components. For the road component, the outlay is Rs.17.97 Crores for the entire plan period. During 1999–2000 improvements to 29.6 km of roads at a cost of Rs.2.20 Crores have been taken up and the works are in progress.

9. TOOLS AND PLANT

The maintenance and upkeep of the various plant and machinery in the department is looked after by the Mechanical wing. There are three workshops located at Chennai, Pudukottai and Coimbatore which cater to the major repairs to plant. There is also Stores and Purchase Division which procures and supplies plant, equipments, scientific instruments, steel, as well as spare parts required for their maintenance. The plant and vehicles that have outlived their stipulated life period are condemned and are periodically replaced.

The Chief Engineer, Mechanical, exercises budgetary control over the funds for the procurement and maintenance of tools and plant in the department. The Budget provision for 2000–2001 is Rs.7.12 Lakhs.

10. HIGHWAYS RESEARCH STATION

The Highways Research Station, Chennai established in the year 1957, has reached a level matching with the Central Road Research Institute, New Delhi. The Research Station is engaged in the applied research, in the construction and maintenance of roads and bridges in Tamil Nadu. Highways Research Station is a well-equipped laboratory in the following disciplines:

a) Soil and Foundation Engineering

b) Concrete and Structures

c) Bitumen and Aggregate

d) Traffic and Transportation

In order to expand the Research and Development activities at Highways Research Station and to create more Centres for testing and assisting quality control measures during construction, Regional Laboratories were set-up in Thanjavur, Madurai, Tirunelveli and Coimbatore. The Director, Highways Research Station has been designated as Quality Control Officer to ensure Quality in all works executed by the Department.

The Budget provision under Plan Schemes for Highways Research Station for 2000–2001 is Rs.31.65 Lakhs. In order to intensify Research and Development activities, it is felt necessary to augment more funds by apportioning 50% of quality control provision, in the technically sanctioned estimate for plan works, and this is under consideration.

Creation of "DATA BANK" by compiling all technical details and vital statistics of Roads and Bridges is in progress. The Bridge details and Traffic Census for all roads have already been collected and stored in the Computer in Highways Research Station. Details of road surface, riding quality, and soil particulars are also collected.

A proposal for starting a Training Institute to give ‘In service’ training to all engineers and other Field Staff of the Department is also under consideration. This is proposed to be taken up under the programme on Institutional Development with World Bank Assistance through the Project Director, Tamil Nadu Road Sector Project.

11. AVENUES

Tamil Nadu has over the years pioneered in planting of trees on edges of the roads to maintain ecological balance and also generate income to Government. During 1998–99, Ninety-two Lakhs of palmyrah seedlings and three Lakhs and eighteen thousand of shade giving tree saplings have been planted. Group plantation techniques have been developed to ensure proper supervision and high survival rates.

It has to be noted that till now, trees have been planted on the edges of the paved carriageway and not on the edge of the right-of-way. This practice is proposed to be discontinued henceforth as expansion of carriageway necessarily entail cutting of trees thereby affecting ecological balance considerably. Moreover, it has been observed that the water drops that drip from the branches and leaves during the rainy season affect the pavement leading to creation potholes and road fissures. This practice has also encouraged encroachment along the right-of-way of many roads thereby affecting the service levels, apart from creating enormous environmental and social problems during widening of roads.

In view of the above, the Highways Department would henceforth undertake tree planting in one or more rows along the edges of the right-of-way on both sides. It is also considered that planting of trees in two or more rows in an appropriate manner would lead to creation of natural access controls. This would also help reduce encroachments, since a visible boundary for the right-of-way is established. The Highways Department also proposes to involve local community / Panchayat / youth clubs in planting and for protection of plants along the road-ways.

The State Government would, also, insist that avenue plantation on the lines indicated above is adhered to by all private sector entities undertaking road projects in the state.

A budget provision of Rs.70.00 Lakhs has been provided for the year 2000–2001 for planting of four-Lakhs shade giving tree saplings.

12. CENTRAL ROAD FUND SCHEME

The Government of India have Created "Central Road Fund" with a view to allocate these funds for the development of roads in various states. At present, 12 works costing Rs.9.10 Crores are at various stages in our state. Government of India has levied a cess of rupee one per litre of petrol and diesel, which will generate funds to the tune of Rs.5000 Crores. From this, an amount of Rs.200 Crores is expected to be allotted for development of State Highways and Major District Roads of Tamil Nadu. With this, amount State Highways and Major District Roads having high traffic volume will be widened from Single lane to Double lane to increase the capacity.

13. MAINTENANCE OF GOVERNMENT ROADS [NON - PLAN]

The maintenance cost of roads is increasing every year due to (a) High cost of Materials (b) Increase in wage structures and allowances for mazdoors working on road maintenance.

Honourable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu has announced in the assembly to introduce mechanised relaying of roads using central hot mix plants and paver finishers so as to have durable roads under non - plan and for this purpose an amount of Rs.100 Crores have been allotted in the budget 1999–2000. Under this scheme 1771.44 Km of roads in State Highways and Major District Roads were taken up and the works are in good progress. The roads laid using this technique have invited public appreciation and ensured high quality.

14. IMPROVEMENTS TO OTHER DISTRICT ROADS

At present, there exist 40814 Km of Other District Roads which act as Catalyst for the rural economic development. Due to paucity of funds there has been backlog in the renewal programme of these roads and wear and tear is appreciable. There are 14139 Km of Other District Roads which are in very bad condition and need immediate improvements at a cost of about Rs.600 Crores. To augment resources for the improvement of these roads, the Government of Tamil Nadu have permitted TIDCO to raise necessary resource through issue of bonds. TIDCO has collected Rs.400 Crores through issue of bonds. In the first phase, improvements to 4289.81 Km of Other District Roads at a cost of Rs.159.09 Crores were taken up as deposit work in the year 1999–2000. These works are in good progress. In the second phase, improvements to 8234.09 Km of Other District Roads at a cost of Rs.339.27 Crores is to be taken up in the year 2000–2001, including 623.24 Km of sugar cane roads at a cost of Rs.31.23 Crores

IV. Roads and Bridges – Part II scheme (2000–2001)

V. Develoment  of  Port   and  Shipping  Sector

Tamil Nadu has a vast coastline of about 1000 kms and has a rich maritime culture. Presently there are two major port at Chennai and Thoothukudi, two intermediate ports at Cuddalore and Nagapattinam and 12 minor ports at Kattupalli, Ennore, Thiruchopuram, PY-3 Oil Field, Thirukkadaiyur, Pamban, Rameshwaram, Valinokkam, Punnakkayal, Manappad, Kanyakumari and Colachel.

In March 1997, the State Government has constituted Tamil Nadu Maritime Board under the Tamil Nadu Maritime Act 1995 (Tamil Nadu 4/96) to administer, control and manage minor and intermediate ports in Tamil Nadu. The Board, since its inception has given great impetus for setting up ports/jetties and moorings under Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) basis by companies promoting oil/thermal power projects in the State. Out of the 12 minor ports, the ports at Kattupalli, Ennore, Thiruchopuram, PY-3 Oil Field, Thirukkadaiyur, Punnakkayal and Manappad have been declared for captive use by private sector

The State Government has also approved a Port Policy for encouraging development of minor ports in Tamil Nadu.

The captive port at Kattupalli has been entrusted for the captive use of Van Ommeran Mac Tank Terminals Limited for handling bulk liquid gases.

A minor port at Thiruchopuram in Cuddalore District has been declared for the captive use of Nagarjuna Oil Corporation Limited so as to facilitate import of 6.5 metric tones per annum (MTPA) of crude oil and export of 2.8 MTPA of various refined oil products produced by their oil refinery at Cuddalore. The company has also proposed to construct a single Buoy Mooring and Product Jetty for handling the above cargo. The construction activity has already commenced and the port is likely to commence operations by the end of 2001. As regards to development of the Cuddalore Port on BOOT basis, the Chief Secretary has constituted a Committee to assess the volume of likely cargo traffic. The Committee has requested the Chief Engineer (Ports), SIPCOT to interact with TNEB and assess the requirement of coal for its thermal power plants

The State Government has also declared Thirukkadiyur as a minor port for the exclusive use of Pillaiperumalnallur Power Generating Company to handle 4 Lakhs MTPA of naptha/LNG required for their 330MW power plant at Pillaiperumalnallur. The construction works has already commenced and the port will become operational by the end of 2000

Foods, Fats & Fertilizers Ltd is now importing edible oil regularly at Nagapattinam port. The first edible oil vessel docked at Nagapattinam Port on May 25, 1999 and discharged 1000 MT of edible oil. The above company proposes to handle 30,000 MT of edible oil per annum.

Madras Refineries Limited has proposed to construct a jetty with approach trestle for receiving crude oil directly from PY-3 Oil Field. The company has proposed to handle 4,00,000 MT of crude oil per annum. The preliminary work has already commenced and construction of jetty for handling crude oil is expected to be completed by the end of 2001

Tamil Nadu Maritime Board has also granted an in-principle approval to Nand Ship Breaking Industries Limited for setting up of 50 ship breaking yards and other allied industries at Valinokkam. The company is expected to commence operation on receipt of environmental clearance. The ship breaking tonnage for the initial period of 5 years is estimated to be 3 Lakhs tones.

The State Government also proposes to develop Colachel Port into hub port for handling main line containers. The Government of Malaysia has evinced keen interest in developing this port as a container hub port. In this regard, the consultants of Malaysian Government have already collected various study reports and site surveys to assess the viability of the Colachel Port. The Government of Malaysia has also recommended that a detailed feasibility study be conducted by a team of independent consultants. The study is expected to be carried out over a period of 9 months at a cost of Rs 4.6 crores

The State Government has also declared Manappad in Thoothukudi as a captive port for the proposed 2000 MW. Vembar Power Project The captive port is expected to handle Naptha/LNG of 2.5 MTPA for their private power project. The port is likely to commence operation by 2004

Sethusamudram Canal Project

The proposed project envisages excavation of a canal in the Rameshwaram Island with a view to connect the Palk Strait with the Gulf of Mannar to facilitate the passage of ships. The Honourable Chief Minister has taken great efforts to include the project in the Ninth 5-year Plan. Consequently, the Public Investment Board has agreed to conduct the techno-economic feasibility study for this project and the study is estimated to cost about Rs 10 Crores. The Government of India in its budget for the fiscal 2000-01 has allotted a sum of Rs 4.80 Crores towards conducting the feasibility study. The State Government has committed to render all assistance for successful implementation of this much-needed project

VI. Poompuhar Shipping Corporation Limited (PSCL)

Poompuhar Shipping Corporation Limited (PSCL), a Government of Tamil Nadu Undertaking is responsible for transporting the coal requirements of the thermal power plant of Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB). The company has acquired three specially designed shallow draft geared bulk carriers of 40,000 DWT each for meeting this requirement of TNEB. In addition, the company also charters various ships to meet the requirements of TNEB. The financial performance of the company for the three-year period ending March 31, 1999 is as follows:

Year Operating profits Net profit/loss

(Rs. Crores) (Rs. Crores)

1996-97 18.37 (+) 3.22

1997-98 7.24 (-) 6.14

1998-99 0.21 (-) 7.87

It is estimated for the year 1999-2000 the company would generate an operating profit of Rs. 2.10 Crores and net loss of Rs 7.08 Crores. The net loss is on account of non-admission of interest and depreciation in the Freight Agreement reimbursed by TNEB. The company has transported 1.28 Crores metric tone of coal in 16 vessels in the year 1999-2000 as against the target of 1 Crores metric tones of coal.

In order to meet the increasing requirement of coal by TNEB on account of the expansion of North Chennai and Thoothukudi power plants, the State Government has constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Thiru S.V.S Raghavan to study the performance and outline the improvement measures for the company. The committee has since submitted its report, which is under consideration of the Government

The company also operates ferry services between the shores of Kanyakumari and Vivekananda Rock Memorial. At present the company operates three ferries of which ML Thamaraparani is proposed to be replaced in the current financial Year. About 15 Lakhs passengers travel every year on the ferries owned by PSCL, Tamil Nadu Maritime Academy

The State Government under the able leadership of Honorable Chief Minister has set up Tamil Nadu Maritime Academy on September 16, 1998. The Academy has completed two batches of Seamen training course. Three STCW-95 courses namely "Personal Survival Techniques" "Elementary First Aid" and "Personal Safety and Social Responsibility" commenced on November 24, 1999 and one batch already completed these courses on November 30, 1999. Two other STCW-95 courses namely "Oil Tanker Familiarization" and "Fire Prevention and Basic Fire Fighting" would commence shortly after getting Director General of Shipping’s approval. The Academy has also planned to start Trainee Marine Engineer Course during this year.

VII. CONCLUSION

Roads are the best visible symbols of the state of development of a region/country. In this regard, the State Government has attempted to initiate many radical reforms in this policy note, which would significantly improve the service levels of the roads in the State and lead to a qualitative shift in our approach to the road sector. The policy formulation also delineates those activities, which could be carried out by the public sector, and those that could be carried out under public-private partnership mode efficiently and hence leverages the competency levels in the sectors.

The State Government also proposes to initiate various schemes for improving the port sector, which would lead to over-all industrial development in the State.

The above policy document if implemented in letter and spirit, would stand us in good stead in the new millennium.

PASUMPON THA. KIRUTTINAN

MINISTER FOR HIGHWAYS