CHENNAI: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Monday announced a slew of schemes under seven departments, including school education, higher education, food and cooperation, youth and sports development and forests and environment, under Rule 110 in the State Assembly.
The key announcements include hi-tech labs for government high and higher secondary schools at a cost of Rs 437.78 crore. Under this, 3,090 high schools would get 10 computers each and 2,939 higher secondary schools 20 each. Smart Classrooms would be set up at 3,000 government elementary and middle schools in rural areas, at a cost of Rs 2.60 crore.
The chief minister said the century old DPI building, housing Directorate of School Education, would be replaced by a Rs 33 crore new building and named as Puratchi Thalaivar MGR Centenary Celebration Building.Similarly to provide good environment to students, infrastructure would be developed at a cost of Rs 39.1 crore, he said.
Palaniswami said seven government arts and science colleges and three university constituent colleges would be started in the current academic year at a cost of Rs 100.31 crore. Additional classrooms would be built in 43 government arts and science colleges and named as Puratchi Thalaivar MGR centenary buildings. With the allocation of Rs 105 crore, work had begun and the remaining Rs 105 crore would be allotted next year.
The Chief Minister also said 268 new branches (26 undergraduate, 75 post graduate and 133 PhD) would be introduced in colleges from this 2017-18 academic year. To handle these subjects 660 assistant professors would be appointed and the government would spend Rs 40.38 crore for this purpose.
Replacing the 42-year-old district sports complex at Kancheepuram at a cost of Rs 15 crore, setting up of world class swimming pool in Manonmaniam Sundaranar University complex at cost of Rs 5 crore and establishing a complex for canoeing and kayaking sports at Melakottaiyur at a cost of Rs 4.60 crore were the announcements made by the chief minister for youth and sports welfare department.
For the Food and Cooperation departments, Palaniswami said fingerprint readers would be provided to all rations shops across the State to ensure proper supply of essential commodities.
Providing core banking solutions in all cooperative credit societies within three years at an expenditure of Rs 134.67 crore, hiking the ceiling on loans given to small traders from Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000, starting new branches of central cooperative banks in Tiruchy and Dharmapuri districts at a cost of Rs 2.25 crore, modernisation of 27 cooperative institutions at a cost of Rs 3.40 crore, establishing a modern food grain storage godown at a cost of Rs 25 crore, setting up of solar-energy based godowns in nine districts at a cost of Rs 50 crore, providing infrastructure facilities for workers of 25 godowns under the civil supplies corporation at a cost of Rs 25 crore were among the announcements made by the chief minister.