DMK protest over delay in work of RoBs

Coimbatore: DMK cadre on Friday staged a protest against the State government for allegedly not constructing railway overbridges, which were announced before AIADMK took power in 2011. Absence of the bridges is causing traffic congestion on the city roads, the protesters said.

The issue of much-talked-about RoB connecting SIHS Colony in Singanallur and Irugur came up during the protest. Work on the bridge was stopped after local residents on both sides of the road got a stay against the work. The 60 families residing there had filed an appeal stating that they were not consulted regarding the extent of land to be acquired, the compensation for it and a service road for them to use was also not created before work on the bridge began.

"Sources say that the judge had unofficially told the government to pay the residents around Rs 2,600 per square feet," said Singanallur MLA, N Karthik. " However, till today, neither the district collector, local administration minister nor the revenue officials have had a negotiation or talk with the residents," he said.

The bridge was announced during the DMK regime, which allotted Rs 23 crore for its construction. It was expected to allow SIHS Colony residents to reach the main roads faster without having to wait for trains to pass.

The protesters also mentioned about the Avarampalayam Ganapathy RoB, a much-needed infrastructure. "During the peak hours, there is a huge traffic pile up on both sides of the railway bridge on Avarampalayam Road because of the railway gate. A bridge would not only bring down the pile up but also create more road space. The RoB was also announced by the DMK regime through a government order," a protester said.