CHENNAI: Augmenting the fleet of TN State Transport Corporation, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Thursday flagged off 290 new buses and 55 small buses. Five drivers received keys for the new buses from her in person.
The Chief Minister also inaugurated new buildings for the Transport Department through video conferencing at the Secretariat.
The total cost of buses and buildings was put at Rs 87.24 crore.
The 290 buses which cost Rs 58.54 crore were distributed to the following divisions: Villupuram (52), Salem (41), Coimbatore (29), Kumbakonam (47), Madurai (104) and Tirunelveli (17). The 55 small buses costing Rs 9.15 crore were for Villupuram (7), Coimbatore (44) and Kumbakonam (4).
She also declared open the bus depot at Uppiliyapuram in Tiruchy district and RTO branch office at Thuraiyur. RTO office cum driver training centre at Gopichettypalayam in Erode district, similar buildings at Ambasamudram (Tirunelveli dt), Manmangalam (Karur dt), Usilampatti (Madurai dt), Tiruttani (Tiruvallur dt), Cheyyar (Tiruvannamalai dt), Ariyalur, Gopalapuram (Coimbatore dt), Chidambaram (Cuddalore dt) and Tiruchendur (Tuticorin dt) were inaugurated by the Chief Minister.
As many as 13 bus depots at Tirunelveli, Cheranmahadevi, Dindigul, Karaikudi and Thirubuvanam (Sivaganga dt), Chethupattu (Tiruvannamalai dt), Omalur (Salem dt), Ondiputhur (Coimbatore dt), Gandarvakottai (Pudukottai dt), Thiruvaiyaru (Thanjavur dt), Kulithalai (Karur dt), Kumuli - Lower Camp (Theni dt), Chekkanurani (Maudrai dt) were also opened on the occasion.
Transport Minister V Senthil Balaji, Khadi and Village Industries Minister TP Poonachi, Chief Secretary K Gnanadesikan, Advisor to State government, K Gnanadesikan and senior officials were present on the occasion.