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GOVERNMENT IN PACT WITH WORLD BANK FOR HEALTH AND ROAD PROJECTS.
Two loan agreements - Rs.627.72 crore for the Tamil Nadu Health Systems
Project and 281.67 crore for Tamil Nadu Road Sector Project - were signed at
the Secretariat on Tuesday in the presence of Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. Health-care
facilities and the road sector will get a boost with the signing of an
agreement between the State government and the World Bank for further
strengthening the key sectors.
Representatives of the Centre, State and the World Bank signed the
agreement. The project has been designed to improve quality and sustainability
of the core road network in Tamil Nadu. A Credit Agreement was also signed on Tuesday.
Road transport, accounting for about 80 per cent of freight and passenger
trips, is the dominant mode of transport in the State. Demand for road
transport has increased rapidly, with vehicle registrations growing by about 10
per cent annually since 2000. However, infrastructure has not kept pace with
the demand, leading to serious network deficiencies.
About 20 per cent of the State highways and major district roads are in
poor condition.
By the time the project is completed, 1,380 km of roads will be improved
and another 720 km upgraded to two-lane in the core Tamil Nadu network.
