KRISHNAGIRI: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday exuded confidence that the spread of coronavirus can be controlled within 10 days, provided the public offered its cooperation. He was talking to reporters after taking part in a review meeting on Covid containment measures in Krishnagiri district.
Palaniswami said the government has been taking many steps to reduce the virus spread, and added that the State has emerged as a pioneer in testing in the country by collecting 42,000 samples a day. Listing out Covid control measures in Chennai, including the setting up of 600 fever camps, he said the number of cases in the capital city is seeing a gradual decline.
There are 15,000 health staff engaged in Covid-19 prevention, and 1,800 doctors and 5,270 nurses involved in treating patients across the State. Stating that the Centre and the State governments have together spent around Rs 10,000 crores for Covid-19 prevention and relief work in Tamil Nadu, he said the State’s contribution was Rs 6,000 crore.
Giving specifics of the spending, he said Rs 312.64 crore was utilized for emergency response and healthcare preparedness, and Rs 46. 95 crore for procurement of medical equipment and others.
“Similarly, the Central government has provided Rs 2,115. 90 crore worth foodgrains. The number includes Rs 80.03 crore worth foodgrain provided for inter-state migrant workers in the state,” he said. Informing that around 4.19 lakh migrant workers stranded in Tamil Nadu were sent to their home States, he said, 32,850 expatriates were also brought back.
Palaniswami also clarified that the government has not instructed any cooperative bank across the State to put disbursal of loans on hold. Responding to a question on such claims doing the rounds, he said, “The banks were just asked to issue loans only within the permissible limit. There were instances in which the cooperative banks did not adhere to this norm. As a result, many farmers were unable to withdraw money from their deposits.” Bank loans to the tune of Rs 139 crore were issued to MSMEs in Hosur with the support of the Centre’s Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan scheme.
The Cabinet has given approval for an e-bike manufacturing company at Hosur, Palaniswami said, adding that the company would be investing Rs 600 crore and employ ingmore than 2,000 people. “The government has been following a single-window system to encourage more people to set up new companies in the State. Except in Chennai, industries in other parts of the State can work with 100 per cent strength by following protocols,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Palaniswami laid the stone for the International Flower Auction Centre to be constructed in Hosur at a cost of Rs 20.20 crore. The facility would be constructed under the supply-chain management scheme and implemented by the Department of Agricultural Marketing and Agri-Business.He also visited Krishnagiri Reservoir Project Dam to oversee the ongoing shutter works.
Palaniswami, on Tuesday, laid the stone for constructing RDO building and residential quarters for RDO at the cost of Rs 3.25 crore at Arani in Tiruvannamalai district through video conference. The RDO office will be constructed at a cost of Rs 2.75 crore and the residential quarters at Rs 50 lakh.