CHENNAI: Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Friday announced several measures for development of rural areas and to upgrade infrastructure facilities, at a total cost of `2,212.07 crore.
The measures include providing bank loans worth `6,000 crore to SHGs and their panchayat level federations to benefit 2.5 lakh SHGs, appointment of community banking coordinators, sanctioning `349.10 crore for rural poverty alleviation societies, creation of 37.54 lakh man-days at `62.69 crore and setting up of 385 food grain storage centres at `30.80 crore.
Making a statement under Rule 110 in the State Assembly, she announced the construction of 1,000 overhead tanks at a cost of `40 crore, installation of 3,000 small motor pumps at a cost of `45 crore, 100 hand pumps at a cost of `6 crore and renovation of 10,000 deep borewells at a cost of `101 crore.
She also said that 3,000 anganwadi centres would be built at a cost of `195 crore and added that 40,680 rural assets like water tanks, libraries etc., would be renovated at a cost of `200 crore.
Plastic roads would be laid for a distance of 1,600 km at `175 crore. Similarly, 4,460 Village Panchayat Service Centres would be constructed at `648.93 crore. Besides, 150 block-level Rural Service Centres would be constructed at an estimated cost of `45.45 crore.
Stating that 17,638 tricycles would be given to 12,524 village panchayats in the State at a cost of `44.10 crore for quick clearance of garbage, the Chief Minister said villages with a population of less than 3,000 would be given one tricycle, two tricycles for areas with population between 3,000 and 10,000 and three for those with a population of more than 10,000.
Announcing that new buildings would be constructed at a cost of `60 crore for 500 village panchayat offices, the Chief Minister said about 1,000 km bus-plying rural roads would be repaired and upgraded at a cost of `300 crore.