TIRUNELVELI: Tamil Nadu Assembly Assurance Committee, led by its chairperson T Velmurugan, inspected various places, including the Palayam Canal and the Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital (TvMCH) in the presence of District Collector K P Karthikeyan, and other members of the committee on Thursday.
Addressing the press, Velmurugan said the state government is taking action to clean the Palayam Canal. "This canal gets water from the Thamirabarani River. When the construction works for the Underground Sewage Scheme are completed, the wastewater being discharged into the canal will be stopped.
As of now, Rs 10 lakh has been allotted to clean the eight-kilometre stretch of the canal from Melapalayam to Thimmarajapuram. After completion of sanitation works, about 6,500 acres of farmland will get an irrigation facility. We also inspected the administrative block that is being constructed at the armed reserve ground. Since the windows of the armoury were constructed with poor quality, we have recommended its strengthening works. We also reviewed the basic amenities provided in the super speciality unit of the TvMCH," he added.
Velmurugan further said the committee would recommend the creation of jobs for youth in the Nanguneri Special Economic Zone (SEZ). "Rathinavel Pandian Committee, which was set up by former chief minister M Karunanidhi during his tenure, had said unemployment was the reason for different (caste) issues prevailing in the district. The then-state government acquired 2,100 acres of land for SEZ and handed it over to a private company. However, this company pledged the land for `855 crore without permission from the state government. An action will be taken to recover the land and establish the SEZ," he added.