The defence corridor through TN from Chennai through Salem, Coimbatore and Tiruchi is missing in the chief minister’s demand for multi-lane highways for the state. The eight-lane high speed Chennai-Salem corridor deserves priority.
I have been visiting Gujarat for over four decades observing the spectacular transformation of the state with a strong focus on infrastructure. Roads, ports, irrigation and power development have been given great importance. In 1980s the time took to travel from Vadodara (then Baroda) to Ahmedabad (100 km) was over four hours. With the excellent expressway travel time has been reduced to just two hours. Using the geographical advantage of a C-shaped contour of the Arabian Sea, sea-sharing Gujaratis set up 41 ports. Kandla and Mundhra have evolved as buzzling ports that serve as major trade hubs. Some of the minor-ports like the one at Jamnagar serving Reliance Refineries handle over 120 million tonnes of cargo for imports and exports.
For several years this volume is more than the combined traffic handled by the three major ports of Chennai, Ennore and Tuticorin.
Modi as then chief minister focused on ensuring water availability to all the 18,000 plus villages of the state. Gujarat constructed check dams and also harnessed the Sabarmati River to good extent. The Sardar Sarovar dam across the Narmada River brought about major changes.
Two other major reforms were taken then. The first one was to lay separate power lines for agriculture and non-agriculture (industrial and domestic). The second and, more important, reform focused on the two crops most suited to Gujarat – groundnut and cotton. In a short time, of less than four years, cotton production zoomed nearly five’fold and the state emerged as largest producer of groundnut.
Uttar Pradesh adopts the Gujarat Model
UP CM Yogi Adityanath has been adopting the Gujarat model. Western UP, especially Noida across Delhi has been developed on par with most other industrial towns. Lack of such infrastructure in other parts has been keeping UP economically backward. There was welcome focus by Mulayam Singh Yadav when the Noida-Lucknow expressway was constructed to high quality. With the experience he gained as Defence minister, he focused on the road system capable of turning into a runway for landing and taking off aircraft. The road system received great attention by such expressways connecting Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow and other major towns.
The Purvanchal Expressway recently inaugurated by Modi is another crowning achievement of the UP government. The Prime Minister arrived at the inauguration site in a large aircraft that landed on this expressway.
Tamil Nadu, The most urbanised state
Historically Tamil Nadu has been laying emphasis on a strong infrastructure. The road system was strengthened and was a big help in the most urbanised state. The urban-rural continuum is characteristic of Tamil Nadu and Kerala eclipsing the distinction between the two. This has been sustained by a strong road network which facilitates travel across the state. But financial constraints have been a deterrent in spending on infrastructure. The Centre has cleared a high-speed expressway connecting Chennai and Bengaluru (259 km) that is estimated to cost Rs 12,500 crore.
TN Chief Minister M K Stalin had urged Prime Minister Modi to convert eight state highways into national highways. The crucial eight-lane connectivity from Chennai to Salem which has received all clearances is not part of these. The defence corridor through Tamil Nadu along Chennai through Salem, Coimbatore and Tiruchi is missing in the chief minister’s plans. This highway will reduce travel time to just two hours. The Autobahn of Germany and the Motorway in Britain impressed American President Eisenhower to construct eight-lane high speed, high quality highways from east to west and north to south. These highways helped the country expand industrial growth manifold and helped spread development across US.
CM Stalin would do well to adopt successful practices for the benefit of the state.
The state’s finances are not in great shape and the needs for infrastructure are great. The state would do well to speed up infrastructure build. -SV
