CHENNAI : Chief Minister MK Stalin, through video conference, inaugurated a host of completed works for various departments, presented the Kalaignar Ezhuthukol award and handed out orders sanctioning residential quarters for Tamil scholars under the Kanavu Illam scheme, on Friday. In a first for the state, Stalin also launched the Adyar Cancer Institute’s Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine scheme in Villupuram Government Hospital; the first dose of the cervical cancer vaccine is set to be administered to 2,000 girl children aged between 9-14.
CM Stalin presented the Kalaignar Ezhuthukol award for 2022 to veteran journalist VN Sami; the award consists of a Rs 5 lakh cash prize and a citation. He then presented orders sanctioning residential quarters (TNHB) to 10 Tamil scholars under the Kanavu Illam scheme for the years 2021-22. 2022-23, 2023-24.
The recipients include: Poet Sirpi Balasubramanian, S Dharmaraj, Professor D Ramalingam, Pon Kothandaraman, Su Venkatesan, P Marudanayakam, Dr R Kalaikovan, S Ramakrishnan, RN Joe D’Cruz, Vannadasan, M Rajendran, and Indira Parthasarathi.
Moreover, Stalin inaugurated the provision of grants (a total of Rs 61.29 crore) to 213 cleanliness workers for buying modern sewage removal equipment; at the inaugural event, five beneficiaries received the orders from the CM at the secretariat. The grant is being provided as part of the scheme to turn sanitary workers into entrepreneurs.
District administrations were awarded medals by the Chief Minister for their efforts to improve the sex ratio in their respective districts, with Ramanathapuram Collector Vishnu Chandran receiving gold, Kancheepuram Collector Kalaiselvi Mohan getting silver and Erode Collector Raja Gopal Sunkara bronze.
Additionally, Chief Minister MK Stalin inaugurated completed four-lane roads in Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu and Tiruvannamalai, at a total cost of Rs 499.69 crore.
The CM also launched nine new fish landing centres constructed at a total cost of Rs 136.75 crore in Ramanathapuram, Thoothukudi, Nagapattinam and Pudukottai.