CHENNAI: The 69th birth anniversary of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Friday was marked by charity, distribution of welfare measures, blood donation camps and a massive green drive to plant 69 lakh saplings across the State. Chief Minister K Palaniswamy launched the green drive to plant 69 lakh saplings at the Tamil Nadu Multi-Super Speciality Hospital at Omandurar Government Estate on Anna Salai. He planted the first sapling (Magizhampoo).
At the AIADMK headquarters, party presidium chairman and School Education Minister KA Sengottaiyan, Palaniswamy and other party leaders paid floral tributes to a portrait of Jayalalithaa.
AIADMK treasurer and Minister for Forests, Dindigul C Srinivasan released a special souvenir to mark the occasion and Deputy Speaker of the State Assembly, Pollachi V Jayaraman received the first copy. Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar inaugurated a five-day medical camp at party headquarters.
An official release here said the planting of 69 lakh saplings would be completed by December, at a total cost of `65.85 crore. The saplings would be planted in forest areas, schools and colleges, government and private office complexes, roadsides and parks.
Indigenous plants like Neem, Pungai, Iluppai, Vagai, Shenbagam, Magizham and Mantharai would be planted.
Recalling that a large number of trees were uprooted by cyclone ‘Vardah’ in Chennai and its neighbouring districts, the Chief Minister said it had been planned to plant 50,000 saplings in government lands and in premises of private organisations. Besides, 2.20 lakh saplings would be planted in reserved forest areas. Apart from these, 2.62 lakh saplings would be made available at a nominal cost to the public. The State government would spend `13.42 crore for this purpose.