CHENNAI: Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa inaugurated a genetics park, modern godowns, agmark laboratories, regulated markets, tender coconut sales complex, auction centres, tea park, butterfly park, farmers centre and six State pesticide laboratories, constructed at a total cost of Rs 66.68 crore, through video conferencing facility at the Secretariat on Tuesday.
These include cold storage facility for chilly constructed at Pavurchathiram in Tirunelveli district at a cost of Rs 2 crore. She handed over 29 jeeps bought at a cost of `1.83 crore for the use of Agricultural Department officials.
The Chief Minister also inaugurated seven modern godowns at Kattumannarkoil (Cuddalore dt), Kallakurichi (Villupuram dt), Thurvarankurichi (Tiruchy dt), Ambasamudram (Tirunelveli dt), Bodinaickanur (Theni dt) and Pennagaram (Dharmapuri dt). As many as 17 cold storage facilities in the districts of Virundhunagar, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Coimbatore, Vellore, Tiruchy, Erode, Dharmapuri and Villupuram, 10 grading centres at Annur and Thondamuthur, Pollachi, Kinathukadavu and Karamadai (Coimbatore dt), Dindigul, Natham, Palani, Batlagundu and Oddanchathiram (Dindigul dt) were also declared open by Jayalalithaa.
Four Agmark laboratories, two regulated markets, six auction centres, nine grading centres for weekly shandies were among the other facilities inaugurated by the Chief Minister. For the first time in the State, a tender coconut sales complex was opened by her at Thippampatti in Coimbatore district.
Jayalalithaa also opened State pesticide laboratories at Erode, Salem, Vellore, Tiruchy, Cuddalore and Madurai at a total cost of `3.60 crore. With this the number of such laboratories in Tamil Nadu has gone up to 15. At the national level, only 68 such laboratories are functioning.
Genetics park at Achadipirambu in Ramanathapuram district, butterfly park at Thevala in Nilgiris district and the tea park at Doddabetta, horticulture department information centre at Pudukottai, farmers' centre at Sathyamangalam, micro-nutrient mixture godown at Kudumiyanmalai in Pudukottai district and Fertiliser Regulation Inspection centre at Salem were also inaugurated by the Chief Minister.
