SALEM: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday announced projects worth Rs 1,242 crore for Salem district. At a government function in Seelanaickenpatti here, Stalin inaugurated Rs 300 crore-worth works under Namakku Naame scheme and Tamil Nadu Urban Employment Scheme worth Rs 100 crore. He laid the foundation stone for 60 new schemes worth Rs 54.01 crore and inaugurated 83 completed works worth Rs 38.53 crore. The Chief Minister also distributed welfare assistance worth Rs 168.64 crore to 30,837 beneficiaries.
Speaking at the event, Stalin said Salem held an important place in the history of Dravidian Movement as former Chief Minister Annadurai brought a resolution in Salem changing the name of Justice Party as Dravidar Kazhagam. He listed out various schemes brought during the previous DMK terms. The Chief Minister also said Municipal Administration Minister KN Nehru received 35,217 petitions in 16 taluks of the district in one month and addressed 10,623 of them immediately.
On the new schemes, Stalin said, “I am announcing Rs 1,242 crore-worth schemes for Salem district, including 520 km underground drainage at a cost of Rs 530 crore in areas where it has not been implemented yet. A scheme will be implemented at a cost of Rs 158 crore for providing additional drinking water. Water bodies like Bodinaickenpatti lake, Mookaneri and Allikuttai lake will be renovated at a cost of Rs 69 crore. A railway flyover will come up at Ammapet at a cost of Rs 120 crore, roads be laid at Rs 20 crore. These apart, a textile park and a tidal park will be established at Karuppur.”
The Chief Minister indicated that it was only the first phase of such schemes and more would follow in the next phases. Pointing out to a recent survey which ranked Tamil Nadu fourth in eradication of poverty, he said his goal was to completely eradicate poverty in the State.
Ministers KN Nehru, K Ponmudi, MRK Panneerselvam, S Muthusamy, M Madhiventhan, Kayalvizhi, Additional Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena, Salem Collector S Karmegam, MPs Gautham Sigamani, KRN Rajeshkumar, SR Parthiban, AKP Chinraj, MLAs R Rajendran, R Arul and S Sadasivam and officials from various departments participated in the event.