CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today made a slew of announcements aimed at ensuring rural development, including in the areas of infrastructure, all running into several crores of Rupees.
Making a suo motu statement in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, she recalled that her government had earlier created a Tamil Nadu Rural Roads Development Scheme for the year 2015-16 with an allocation of Rs 800 crore, and unveiled more projects under the same.
While the scheme envisaged development of 4,000 km of rural roads, more projects, including bridges and panchayat office buildings, will be taken up even as she announced an additional allocation of Rs 200 crore to it.
Further, e-seva kendras would be set up to enable residents of rural areas to quickly avail birth and death certificates besides other social security schemes, she said adding, this project will be taken up across 3,890 local bodies at a cost of Rs 661.30 crore.
The government would also replace existing streetlights in many rural parts with LED bulbs and eight lakh such devices will be installed at a cost of Rs 300 crore, the Chief Minister said, adding, this would be a green initiative.
In another green initiative aimed at the rural areas, Jayalalithaa announced a sapling planting drive, wherein they will be planted on either sides of 2,000 km length of roads, including those covered under the Prime Minister's Gram Sadak Yojana and the Highways.
The government will also provide fruit-bearing saplings or others to families covered under different housing schemes, she said.
Accordingly, 1.14 lakh beneficiaries of Indira Awas Yojana and the state government's Solar-powered green house initiative will receive saplings of their choice and workers of MNREGA will be employed to plant these in the homes of the beneficiaries, she said.
Among others, Jayalalithaa announced Rs 12 crore for 600 village poverty-eradication associations and steps to disburse Rs 6,000 crore as credit to Self Help Groups this year.
The measures would help in the growth of rural areas, besides benefiting women SHGs and generate rural employment, the Chief Minister said.