Smart City Project: Soil samples from 6 locations taken

The team was headed by chief engineer Natarajan and superintending engineer Anbazhagan from Chennai. They visited the old and new bus stand and the Nethaji complex. Officials from the Vellore Corporation accompanied the engineers.

Under the Smart City Project Rs 198 crores was allotted to Vellore corporation, including Rs 120 crore for a two tier bus stand complex (new bus stand), new buildings to be constructed at the cost of Rs13 crore in the old bus stand and new buildings in the existing Nethaji market at Rs 65 crore.

The team, at the new bus stand, ordered a JCB to dig a five feet deep pit in six locations from where soil samples were collected.

Officials explained that construction of buildings in all the locations would start only after the Chennai commissionerate cleared the samples as being fit for the new buildings. Commissioner C Sivasubramaniam said, “This was a routine visit as the Chennai team is visiting all cities that have been earmarked for the Smart City Project to ensure that pre-project work is underway as per schedule.” The team later left for Chennai.