TIRUVANNAMALAI: Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday inaugurated the exhibition stalls and seminar sessions at the two-day "Agricultural Exhibition and Seminar – 2025" and announced six new projects in Tiruvannamalai, including a Rs 12-crore SIDCO industrial unit in Endal village in Cheyyar taluk.
A total of Rs 9.43-crore worth welfare assistance was distributed to 518 farmers at the agricultural exhibition, organised by the Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department, opposite to the Government Higher Secondary School on Thirukovilur Road at Tiruvannamalai. At the inaugural event, Stalin said that three agricultural expos in total have been organised this year in Erode, Chennai and now in Tiruvannamalai.
The chief minister visited the exhibition organised by various departments and inaugurated the agricultural seminar for the benefit of farmers. The exhibition in Tiruvannamalai aims to disseminate comprehensive information on modern agricultural technologies, agricultural machinery and implements, high-yielding and climate-resilient crop varieties, traditional crop varieties, post-harvest management techniques, value addition and marketing techniques, organic and natural farming, food processing, livestock and fisheries technologies and export-related awareness. More than 250 indoor and outdoor exhibition stalls have been set up at the expo.
Rs 1,400-cr worth welfare assistance distributed
Following this, Stalin inaugurated completed works, laid foundation stones for new projects and distributed welfare assistance to beneficiaries during an event held at Kalaignar Ground in Malappambadi. As many as 314 completed works worth a total of Rs 631.48 crore were inaugurated, foundation stones for 46 new projects worth Rs 63.74 crore were laid and welfare assistance worth Rs 1,400.57 crore was distributed to 2,66,194 beneficiaries. Speaking at the event, Stalin said, "It has been four and a half years since our Dravidian Model government took office, and during this time, we have implemented numerous people-celebrated schemes, ensuring that every project reaches every household."
Besides the SIDCO industrial unit, Stalin announced a Rs 5-crore project to establish basic amenities at the Parvathamalai Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple, a new building for Chengam Government Arts & Science College at Rs 18.5 crore, a high-tech nursery for hybrid vegetable seedlings at Keezh Seesamangalam at Rs 1 crore, an integrated agricultural extension centre at Mazhaiyur at Rs 3.94 crore, and a Rs 2.4-crore seed processing unit with 250 MT storage at Athiyenthal.
New model school inaugurated
Later in the day, Stalin also inaugurated a newly constructed Government Model School building and hostels built at a cost of Rs 56.47 crore and interacted with students. The school building has been constructed over an area of 4.52 acres at a cost of Rs 19.33 crore. The boys' hostel has been constructed at a cost of Rs 18.57 crore, and the girls' hostel at a cost of Rs 18.57 crore. Each hostel can accommodate 400 students. The school has 22 classrooms, separate staff rooms for male and female teachers, multi-purpose hall, library, an art and crafts training room, three toilets for persons with disabilities, 60 toilets, six hand-wash stations, ramps for persons with disabilities, and laboratories.