SALEM: Animal Husbandry Minister Udumalai K Radhakrishnan on Thursday said that Asia’s biggest Advanced Institute for Integrated Research in Livestock and Animal Science (AIIRLAS) will be inaugurated by the Chief Minister on February 22.
The AIIRLAS, which also accommodates the State’s fifth veterinary college, was constructed at a cost of Rs 1,023 crore on 1,100 acres at Thalaivasal. After inspecting the spot, the minister told mediapersons,
“The institute has 20 buildings in total over 3.72 lakh sq ft. Works are underway to ensure uninterrupted drinking water supply to the facility at the cost of Rs 260.16 crore. Besides, AIIRLAS’s research centre will attract researchers from across the globe.” Radhakrishnan further said that the sixth and the seventh veterinary colleges would soon be inaugurated in Theni and Udumalaipet (Tiruppur), respectively.
Stating that DMK was the only government to be dissolved on corruption charges, the minister said, “Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami is a farmer ensuring good governance in the State. He is an affable leader too. DMK could not bear this and took to criticising him.”
Collector S A Raman, District Revenue Officer (DRO) R Diwakar, Project Director for DRDA N Aruljothi Arasan and Tamil Nadu Cooperative Bank Chairman R Elangovan also accompanied the minister. Earlier, Principal Secretary for Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries Department K Gopal visited the AIIRLAS and held a discussion with the officials concerned.