COIMBATORE: Chief Minister MK Stalin launched the Makkaludan Mudhalvar scheme and laid the foundation stone for the Semmozhi Poonga project at Gandhipuram on Monday. He also distributed welfare assistance worth Rs 110.51 crore to 7,945 beneficiaries. While the CM launched the scheme in Coimbatore, ministers launched it in their respective districts. Minister for Youth Affairs Udhayanidhi Stalin launched the scheme in Salem.
Under the scheme, special camps will be held in urban and rural local bodies to redress grievances relating to 13 key departments. In the first phase (between December 18, 2023, and January 6, 2024) as many as 1,745 special camps will be organised in all districts except Chennai, Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu and Thiruvallur that were affected by cyclone Michaung.
After launching the scheme, the chief minister received petitions from people in Avarampalayam and also inspected special camps that were organised in the area. Speaking on the occasion, Stalin said the scheme would ensure transparency in governance. “In the first phase, the camps will be conducted in urban areas. Officers from the 13 departments will receive and register petitions of people in the special camps. All the petitions would be duly considered by the respective departments and appropriate action would be taken within 30 days.”
Apart from the scheme, Chief Minister Stalin laid the foundation stone for the long-awaited Semmozhi Poonga. The project was first announced on June 27, 2010, by the then chief minister M Karunanidhi on the last day of the World Classical Tamil Conference that was held in Coimbatore. Stalin said the first phase of Semmozhi Poonga will come up on 45 acres on the central prison grounds. The second phase would cover 120 acres. The estimated cost of the project would be Rs 133.21 crore.
Housing minister S Muthuswamy, MPs PR Natarajan, Anthiyur Selvaraj, K Shanmugasundaram, MLA Vanathi Srinivasan, Coimbatore Collector Kranthi Kumar Pati, were among those who were present on the occasion. Petitions related to 13 departments would be received in special camps.