The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : PMK Central Ministers’ charge against State

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 15, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

PMK Central Ministers’ charge against State

R. Ilangovan

SALEM: Union Ministers, belonging to the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), have claimed that of late the State government’s cooperation to various development projects, initiated by their respective Ministries, “is not as encouraging as in the past.”

Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss and Minister of State for Railways R. Velu, after inspecting the on-going health and railway projects separately here on Sunday, said that a few major development initiatives in these two vital sectors had been taken up in Tamil Nadu for which the mutual co-operation was very essential. “But of late, Tamil Nadu’s co-operation (to the schemes) is not like in the past,” said Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss, after inspecting the construction works of the Rs. 120-crore Salem Super Speciality Hospital here.

He said his Ministry had in fact approached the State to allot 5 acres of land free of cost to establish a hi-tech laboratory for the National Sidha Medical Centre at Tambaram in Chennai. The then Health Minister K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran had promised to allot the land and his successor M.R.K. Panneerselvam too had no reservations. “But unfortunately we have now received a letter from the government to pay Rs. 25 crore for the land. This will be detrimental to the development of Sidha medicine,” he pointed out.

Saying that the State government, despite his Ministry’s reminders, was yet to formulate a comprehensive plan to appoint doctors and paramedical staff for the Salem Super Speciality Hospital, which would become operational from January next, Dr. Anbumani stated that unless the required strength of health care personnel was appointed in time, the massive project would be rendered waste.

He, however, welcomed the State’s decision to provide free meals thrice a day for 3 days to women admitted to PHCs for delivery and sterilisation procedures.

He pointed out that his Ministry had already provided funds for PHCs and assured to extend the same further.

After inspecting the works in Salem Railway junction, Mr. Velu said though the newly formed railway division became fully operational, the delay in handing over the required land of 50 acres by the State government for construction of residential quarters and administrative buildings “is causing worry.”

The Salem District administration had not taken any concrete step to provide the land to the Railways so far. “Employees, who had been transferred from various divisions, have started arriving here with their families. Hence we have to construct a few multi-storied residential buildings on the available land on a war-footing,” he said.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu