Works on National Highway towards Pondicherry on: Pon Radhakrishnan

Apart from this, works on the National Highway towards Puducherry is progressing, he added. To a question, he said the Tamil Nadu government would cooperate in the widening of the East Coast Road at a cost of Rs 10,000-crore from Chennai to Kanyakumari via Puducherry. Late chief minister Jayalalithaa too had promised all cooperation, he added. Radhakrishnan also ruled out the possibility of privatisation of ports in the country. 

Talking to the newspersons here, Radhakrishnan said that the Centre is contemplating to introduce a light weight strong helmet to reduce the number of fatal accidents involving two-wheelers. Riding two-wheelers without helmet is the main cause of accidents, he said, adding that a clear position could be known in a couple of months, with regard to the new helmet. He said a seminar was conducted here with the intention of reducing the number of accidents, in which Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy and Transport Minister MOHF Shajahan participated. He said Road Safety Week is being celebrated throughout the country from January 9, when efforts would be made to create proper awareness. 

The Minister said that most accidents were because of over-speeding and drunken driving. The liquor shops on the national highways and state roads are responsible for drunken driving.  The Supreme Court had directed the removal of liquor shops from the highways and it is the responsibility of the state to implement the same, Radhakrishnan said and added that he expected the Puducherry Administration to implement the same. 

To a question, the Minister said that different efforts are being taken for the conduct of jallikkattu. ‘’I firmly believe that jallikkattu could be conducted during Pongal,’’ he said. On Vardah cyclone, he said that a Central team had visited Tamil Nadu and adequate assistance would be provided to the state, based on its report.

To a question on the Lt Governor allegedly bypassing the elected government in Puducherry, the Union Minister said one should congratulate a ‘functioning Governor.’ He said Kiran Bedi could not always inform the legislator or others about her visit to an area and cited that if he (Radhakrishnan) wanted to visit Nagercoil town, he will have to pass through 10 wards. “Is it possible to inform all the ward members about my visit,” he asked? On the renovation of textile mills in Puducherry, he said different aspects need to be studied thoroughly before taking any initiative, such as the state of of the mills and the steps taken by the previous government.