COIMBATORE: Public Works and Sports Development Minister Aadhav Arjuna on Sunday said the Thanthai Periyar Library and Science Centre project in Coimbatore will be completed within three months after rectifying certain deficiencies.
“Certain construction deficiencies identified by engineers will be rectified immediately to ensure timely completion,” he said to the media in Coimbatore.
Highlighting instances of corruption in various government departments in the past, including the Highways Department, the minister said contractors were earlier under pressure to pay a fixed percentage as commission to the chief minister and ministers, but asserted that such practices do not exist under the present administration.
Stating that the elimination of corruption and efficient utilisation of public funds could generate significant employment opportunities, he said such reforms would ultimately benefit the youth by creating more jobs.
Referring to road safety, the minister said Tamil Nadu records the highest number of road fatalities in the country, with nearly 18,000 deaths annually, which is higher than COVID-19-related fatalities. While previous governments had allocated substantial funds for road development, he said, adequate attention had not been given to road safety measures.
He added that the issue has been brought to the attention of the Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and that a proposal is under consideration to allocate funds for road safety infrastructure on par with road construction budgets.
Responding to criticism from AIADMK leaders over his position in the Basketball Federation, Aadhav Arjuna said there are no rules prohibiting such an arrangement, adding that the opposition lacked understanding of both sports and politics.
On the Coimbatore Metro project, he said a detailed feasibility report would be prepared and released shortly, following which further announcements would be made.