Rs 2,160 cr Thirumazhisai Township Project hits a roadblock

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

The phase-I scheme of proposed Rs 2,160 crore satellite township at
Thirumazhisai in Thiruvallur district could be implemented only if the
government modifies its earliest order, according to a Tamil Nadu
Housing Board official.

The project which was announced in 2011 has failed to get started
after officials complained of land acquisition and technical glitches
in the Government Order issued on March 2012.

As per the Government Order passed on March 2012, the scheme can be
either implemented under the self financing scheme (SFS) or public
private partnership (PPP) only if 466.49 acres of land is acquired by
the government.

Interestingly, officials are facing difficulties in acquiring 466
acres of land for the project following pendency of writ petitions
before the High Court. As such the focus is now to develop the project
phase wise instead of single scheme in one stroke.

In the first phase, a total of 137.32 acres of land in Kuthambakkam,
Parvatharajapuram and Chembarambakkam villages is planned to be taken
up making use of 100 feet wide approach road from the
Chennai-Bangalore National Highway under the self financing scheme.

Officials say the hurdle is the Government Order which states the
implementation of the scheme in public private partnership of self
financing scheme can be decided only after 466 acres of land are
acquired. “This has to be reconsidered taking into account of the
spate of writ petitions filed before Madras high court on the grounds
of Section 24 (2) of the newly enacted Right to Fair Compensation,
Rhabilitation and Ressettlement Land acquisition act,” the official
said.

“If this is not done then TNHB will be deprived of the proposed
Thirumazhisai Satellite Township project which has to be implemented
in 311 acres of land,” the official added.