TENKASI: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami inaugurated Tenkasi as the 33rd district of Tamil Nadu and announced developmental projects for this district in a government function held here on Friday.
Palaniswami said that the new district had been created as promised by him in a public meeting conducted in Tenkasi in July. “I am happy to inaugurate a district-based at Tenkasi, different places of which including Kasi Viswanathar temple, Western Ghats, Courtallam, Shengottai and Veerakeralampudur have a historical background. When the Tenkasi was attached with the Tirunelveli district, its residents had to travel a long distance to reach the district headquarters. Considering their inconvenience, we have created this district and fulfilled the people’s decades-old demand,” he added.
The Chief Minister said that the new district would have two revenue divisions, eight Taluks, 30 firkas, 251 revenue villages, 10 panchayat unions, five municipalities, 18 town panchayats, 224 village panchayats and five assembly constituencies in its jurisdiction and spread over in 2916.13 sq. km with a population of 14,7,632 people. He also announced several new projects including two government arts and science colleges each in Alangulam and Sankarankovil at a total cost of Rs. 17.73 crore. He assured that the Jambunathi scheme would soon be implemented to bring surplus water of Ramnathi dam to the rain-fed villages of Tenkasi and Alangulam taluks.
“As demanded by the farmers of Tenkasi, our government will try to repair the Shenbagavalli dam by conducting talks with Kerala to bring water for the irrigation at the drought-prone areas of this district. To ensure that the Chitraru river water is reaching to the water bodies of the villages of Tenkasi, Kadayanallur, Shengottai, Alangulam and Keezhapavoor unions, 395 works worth to Rs. 308 crores are being done. A combined water supply schemes to provide drinking water to the residents of Sankarankovil, Puliayangudi, Thiruvengadam, Alangulam and Keezhapavoor area would be implemented,” said, the Chief Minister.
Palaniswami also assured that three check-dams will be constructed across the Thamirabarani river in different places of the Tirunelveli district to recharge the groundwater. He also said that the Thamirabarani-Karumeniayar-Nambiyar river-linking project for which, he said, his government had allocated more than Rs. 500 crore would be completed by 2021. The Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, more than 20 Ministers including V M Rajalakshmi, the Chief Secretary K Shanmugam, Tenkasi Collector G K Arun Sundar Thayalan and Tirunelveli Collector Shilpa Prabhakar Satish were present.