CHENNAI: Chief Minister M K Stalin inaugurated various projects across the state on Saturday, including the first phase of the horticulture and hill crops department’s eco-park project, spread across 118 acres in Guindy. The initiative includes the restoration of waterbodies, planting of rare tree species, ornamental plants and saplings.
Later, from the secretariat, the CM inaugurated road projects worth Rs 1,177.15 crore across Erode, Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai, Thanjavur, Tiruvallur, Tirunelveli, Ariyalur and Madurai districts. He also opened two new road overbridges built at a cost of Rs 71.09 crore in Vellore district, replacing railway level crossings, aimed at easing traffic congestion and improving connectivity.
Some of the important roads projects are, 30.60-km (Godichettipalayam to Erode) four-lane road in Erode, 16.425-km (Mayiladuthurai to Tiruvarur) two-way road, Kumbakonam to Mannargudi two-way road, improved Korattur- Periyapalayam and Tiruvallur - Arakkonam four-lane roads in Tiruvallur district, Ambasamuthiram by-pass road in Tirunelveli district, and others.
During the occasion, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare M R K Panneerselvam, Minister for Highways E V Velu, Minister for Health Ma Subaramanian, Minister for HR&CE P K Sekar Babu, and other ministers, Chief Secretary N Muruganandam, and other elected representatives and officials participated.
Ambulances flagged off
Stalin also flagged off 87 new 108 ambulances at a total cost of Rs 18.90 crore at the secretariat on Saturday.
According to a press release, the new ambulances were flagged off to enhance the emergency response services. There are already 977 Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulances, 307 Advanced Life Support Ambulances, and 65 neonatal ambulances in the state.
Since the present government came to power, 85.98 lakh people including pregnant women, road accident victims and other emergency cases were handled by the 108, the release said. There are 41 two-wheeler ambulances in which 1.61 lakh cases were handled. Also 95,119 newborns were covered by the services apart from 4.30 lakh people from tribal areas in the state.
The 108 ambulance services are operated by the health department with EMRI Green Health Services, GVK Enterprise under public private partnership in the state.