CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday launched the Enadhu Gramam (My Village) scheme which facilitates non-resident Tamils (NRTs) to improve the infrastructure of their native villages in TN and to meet their essential needs like education and medicine. The scheme will be done through contributions from NRTs. The scheme was launched at the Tamil Diaspora Day celebrations.
Activities that can be carried out in their hometown by NRTs include improvement of infrastructure of primary health centres, hospital etc; construction and improvement of anganwadi, school and college laboratories, additional classroom buildings, canteen, perimeter wall, playground and libraries; construction and improvement of facilities like roads, bridges, etc. in rural areas; provision of drinking water facilities, rainwater collection tanks, reservoir tanks, drinking water pipe facilities, repair and maintenance of ponds etc.
On the occasion, non-resident Tamils Veera Venugopal and Siva Moopanar ($30,000), Syed Mohammed Salahuddin (`25 lakh), Pakkirisamy Rajamanickam from US (`25 lakh) handed over cheques to Stalin for improving infrastructure in their villages.
Stalin presented the Kaniyan Poongundranar Awards to 13 NRTs: Sudhakar Pichai from the UK (science and technology); Vaideki Herbert from the US (Tamil literature); Jayaram Lingama Naicker from Singapore (medicine); Bala Swaminathan from the US (education); Murugesu Paramanathan from Australia (education); YV Tattosri M Saravanan from Malaysia (social empowerment); Chitra Mahesh from the US (women empowerment); Pakkirisamy Rajamanickam from the US (commerce); Syed Mohammed Salahuddin from Malaysia (commerce); Jaseela Bhanu from UAE (women empowerment); Raman Gurusamy from South Korea (sports); TK Saranya Devi from Kuwait (sports); and Subramanian Thinnappan from Singapore (Tamil literature).
A total of 57 non-resident Tamil students shared their experiences during the ‘Reaching your roots’, a two-week cultural tour programme organised by the Tamil Nadu government for Tamil Diaspora Youth.
CM scotches rumours about his health
Chennai: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday scotched rumours about his health and said all is well with his health. Addressing the Tamil Diaspora Day celebrations in Chennai, Stalin said, “I came across a newspaper report that I was not keeping good health and hence was not cheerful. I just laughed it off. Seeing the people of Tamil Nadu happy is the best tonic for me. In all situations, I will stay with people and will work beyond my physical ability for their sake.”