Gadkari sets 10-day deadline for Pondy Road proposals

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has directed officials of his ministry to examine and approve, within 10 days, the proposals submitted by Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy, PWD Minister Malladi Krishna Rao said on Thursday.

Rao, who participated in the GST Council meeting in Delhi, said he handed over the letter of the Puducherry CM to Nitin Gadkari seeking sanction of Rs 1,500 crore for the extension of the proposed flyover from Puducherry to Mullodai on the Puducherry-Cuddalore route.

Rao held a meeting with the Road Transport and National Highways Minister. In a release, he said the Centre had already approved the flyover on the Puducherry-Cuddalore route at a cost of Rs 650 crores with the initial proposal to cover only 2.5 km.

The CM has sought to extend the flyover to cover the entire 13.30-km stretch between Puducherry and Mullodai village, Rao said in a release.

This extended flyover would ease traffic congestion on the Puducherry — Cuddalore route, particularly during weekends. Nitin Gadkari asked officials of his Ministry to consider the representation and accord approval in 10 days, the PWD Minister said.

The Union Minister also asked the officials to positively consider the request of the CM for sanction of Rs 12 crores to improve the road linking the road from Department of Fisheries to National Highways in Yanam (an enclave of Puducherry in Andhra Pradesh), the PWD Minister said.