THOOTHUKUDI: Marking the Local Governance Day, rural development department Principal Secretary P Amutha took part in a grama sabha meeting at Vilvamarathupatti village panchayat on Tuesday, and later inaugurated a project to revamp a tank at K Thangammalpuram panchayat.
HCL Technologies Ltd owner Shiv Nadar would be funding the project.
Addressing the grama sabha at Vilvamarathupatti village, Amutha said, "The Union government allocates Rs 36,000 crore annually to Tamil Nadu for implementing welfare schemes at villages through the rural development agency. Panchayat presidents must effectively use the funds, and transparently disclose the works completed. They can also demand more funds if required."
The principal secretary further said the State government has been diverting Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds from companies and donations from philanthropists towards developmental projects in rural areas as the State machinery may not always be able to attend to the needs of all 12,575 village panchayats. Collector Dr K Senthil Raj, Vilathikulam MLA GV Markandeyan and other dignitaries along with local residents attended the gram sabha meeting.
Later in the day, Amutha inaugurated development work at a tank in K Thangamalpuram village. The tank would be deepened to increase its capacity and its bunds will be strengthened at an estimated cost of `60 lakh and this expense will be borne by Shiv Nadar.
"Shiv Nadar and his family have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the State government to carry out social welfare projects like enhancing facilities for education, healthcare, drinking water supply and other fields in association with the government bodies at Vilathikulam and Pudur unions in Thoothukudi district," she said.
"Of the 388 panchayat unions in Tamil Nadu, the State government selected Pudur and Vilathikulam unions for private funding. Initially, the Shiv Nadar group will establish smart classrooms at 128 government schools here," said MLA Markandeyan on the occasion.
Tamil Nadu Corporation for Development of Women Managing Director Dhivyadharshini, Additional Collector Thakkare Subam Gnanadev Rao, and Vaibav Chauhan from the HCL were present.