PWD Minister E V Velu refutes AIADMK's claims, stating the Ukkadam-Aathupalam flyover was conceived during DMK's rule in 2010. The project, inaugurated by CM Stalin on August 9, was completed within three years after DMK came to power in 2021.
Coimbatore: State Public Works Minister E V Velu has countered claims made by former AIADMK minister S P Velumani regarding the recently inaugurated Ukkadam–Aathupalam flyover. Velu asserted that the project was a brainchild of late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi, not an AIADMK initiative as suggested by Velumani.
In a statement released on Monday, Velu explained that the flyover project was initially proposed during the DMK's tenure in 2010. Then-Chief Minister M Karunanidhi had announced the project during a meeting in 2011. However, when the AIADMK formed the government later that year, they reportedly showed little interest in the project, pushing it to the backburner.
Velu criticized the AIADMK government for delaying the project for seven years before finally signing an agreement to commence work in 2018. He alleged that during this period, "Velumani never bothered about the welfare of the people of Coimbatore."
The flyover, constructed at a cost of Rs 481 crore, was inaugurated by Chief Minister M K Stalin on August 9. The following day, Velumani, accompanied by AIADMK cadres, drove over the flyover and claimed to reporters that Stalin was taking credit for a project initiated by the AIADMK. AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswamy echoed these sentiments, accusing the DMK of claiming credit for AIADMK projects.
Refuting these allegations, Velu stated that when the DMK came to power in 2021, only 12% of the flyover works had been completed. He emphasized that it was the DMK government that expedited the project, completing the flyover within three years.
The minister also announced that the up ramp and down ramp at Sungam would be completed before 2024, further enhancing the infrastructure in the area.
This controversy highlights the ongoing political debate over infrastructure projects in Tamil Nadu, with both major parties vying for credit as they seek to win public approval.