1.7.1 Introduction

The Twelfth Finance Commission has recommended separate grants-in-aid to the States for maintenance of roads and bridges (Article 10.20 & 10.21 of Chapter 10, Twelfth Finance Commission Report . An amount of Rs.15,000 crore has been provided over the period 2006-10. No amount has been provided in the year 2005-06, and hence the states had one year time for making preparations to absorb these funds. This amount is in addition to the normal expenditure, which the states would be incurring on maintenance of roads and bridges.

Share  of Tamil Nadu is Rs. 1,214.40 Crores provided in equal instalments of Rs. 303.60 Crores over the last four years (i.e., 2006-07 to 2009-10) of the forecast period. This amount is used for maintenance of rural roads as well as roads maintained by the Highways Department.

Maintenance of Rural Roads using Twelfth Finance Commission Grants

For the year 2006-07, works have been taken up to maintain and improve the existing black topped Panchayat and Panchayat union roads connecting and passing through the AGAMT 2006-2007 Village Panchayats to a length of 1,897.95 km at an estimated cost of Rs. 103.60 Crores, sanctioned vide G.O. Ms. No. 222 (HV2) Highways Department dated 01.11.2006. All the works have been completed. For the year 2007 – 2008, 1,801.16 Km road works at an estimated cost of Rs. 103.60 Crores have been taken up. All the road works have been completed. For the year 2008-2009, 1499.36 km road works at on estimate cost of Rs. 103.60 Crores have been taken up and for the  year 2009-2010, 1726.098 km road works at an estimate cost of  Rs. 103.34 Crores have been taken up. All the Road works have been completed.

Table 1.7.1
Twelfth Finance Commission Grant – Rural Road Works

Sl.No.	Year	Financial Allocation (Rs.in crores)	Physical Allocation ( No./ Km)
1	2006 - 07	103.60	1462/1897.95 Km
2	2007 - 08	103.60	1460/1801.16 Km
3	2008 - 09	103.60	1096/1464.81 Km
4	2009 - 10	103.60	1185/1727.04 Km
	Total	414.40	5203/6890.96Km

Table 1.7.2
District-wise allocation of Twelfth Finance Commission Grant – Rural Road Works-2009 - 10

Sl.No.	Districts	AGAMT Villages 2009-10 to be covered	Taken up
			No of works	Length in Km	Est. Cost Rs. in Lakhs
1	Kancheepuram	129	57	99.200	635.30
2	Tiruvallur	106	46	74.957	453.95
3	Cuddalore	135	58	85.387	550.46
4	Villupuram	217	68	109.152	686.44
5	Vellore	150	103	110.327	633.93
6	Tiruvannamalai	175	66	110.700	619.64
7	Salem	75	56	52.850	310.11
8	Namakkal	66	58	53.851	306.83
9	Dharmapuri	48	37	58.428	348.78
10	Krishnagiri	67	24	33.767	216.53
11	Erode	45	18	23.322	143.98
12	Tirupur	58	27	39.366	249.00
13	Coimbatore	43	23	32.250	215.46
14	The Nilgiris	7	9	9.840	60.63
15	Thanjavur	116	53	54.550	297.42
16	Nagapattinam	91	50	58.313	327.12
17	Tiruvarur	87	42	56.372	291.01
18	Trichirapalli	82	64	84.680	487.85
19	Karur	30	10	20.255	123.60
20	Perambalur	25	17	39.650	241.60
21	Ariyalur	40	17	25.450	157.00
22	Pudukottai	97	22	35.209	216.17
23	Madurai	90	18	37.880	222.50
24	Theni	25	9	23.400	148.52
25	Dindigul	60	36	58.510	339.38
26	Ramanathapuram	85	34	54.120	363.96
27	Virudhunagar	91	33	57.100	344.90
28	Sivagangai	89	33	49.230	334.32
29	Tirunelveli	85	48	110.799	587.83
30	Thoothukudi	78	31	51.733	340.54
31	Kanniya kumari	19	18	15.450	79.06
Grand Total		2511	1185	1726.098	10333.82