CHENNAI: Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Tuesday inaugurated 4,044 tenements for the poor, fly-overs, bridges, 109 new buses, 40 small buses, facilities for devotees in many ancient temples and Air Quality Monitoring Vehicle for Chennai.
She also unveiled the statue of freedom fighter Ondiveeran at Palayamkottai in Tirunelveli district.
The Chief Minister flagged off 109 new buses and 40 small buses for Chennai in 13 routes, all bought at a cost of Rs 29.54 crore and declared open three depots at Sholingur, Orikkai II and Iluppur, built at cost of Rs 2.90 crore. Of the 109 buses, nine are for MTC, 12 A/C buses are for Chennai Express Transport Corporation. Rest of the buses are shared among Coimbatore (25), Madurai (6) and Tirunelveli (2).
She declared open 4,044 multi-storey tenements constructed for Rs 272.68 crore, in Chennai, Kanche-epuram, Coimbatore and Erode districts.
The Chief Minister also flagged off the Continuous Air Quality Monitoring Vehicle of the TNPCB, bought for Rs 1.25 crore. This mobile system can gauge the extent of sulphur di-oxide, nitrogen oxide, Ammonia, Ozone, Carbon Monoxide and benzene present in the air. She also launched two softwares - one created for Rs 10 lakh for enabling public to lodge their complaints about pollution to the TNPCB and another (Rs 5 lakh) for disposing of applications from factories for handling harmful wastes.
Jayalalithaa also inaugurated a new flyover constructed for Rs 35 crore, near the Anna Arch. Three bridges, two railway overbridges, one railway underbridge, two office buildings and one integrated Chief Engineer quarters, all constructed at a cost of Rs 106.02 crore. She also laid foundation for new bridges, railway over-bridges etc., to be constructed at a total cost of Rs 1,254.78 crore.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister declared open halls for Annadanam in 21 ancient temples and other facilities constructed at a total cost of Rs 41.14 crore. The Chief Minister unveiled the statue of freedom fighter Ondiveeran, installed at a cost of Rs 64 lakh at Palayamkottai in Tirunelveli district and declared open the exhibition hall which depicts the life-style of ancient Tamils, established at a cost of Rs 3.46 crore.
On February 27, the Chief Minister had inaugurated projects and buildings for the Municipal Administration Department, completed at a of Rs 735.73 crore and laid foundation for new schemes worth Rs 119.22 crore. The completed works include underground sewerage scheme in Tiruvottriyur (Rs 9.34 crore), 19 Amma canteens in Chennai, seven PHCs and parks in several places.
She also commenced the project for constructing solar-powered green houses for hutment dwellers in town panchayats at a total cost of Rs.420 crore. In the first phase, 20,000 families living in mud houses and hutments would be allotted these houses. Two families received the allotment order from the Chief Minister at the Secretariat.