Coimbatore Corporation would start the work to improve basic amenities in the city by this month end, Electricity Minister V. Senthilbalaji said here at a programme organised on Saturday to mark the culmination of the second edition of Ukkadam Art District.
The Corporation in association with St+art, Asian Paints, RAAC, CREDAI and a few others had started the Ukkadam Art District project to paint murals. In November, four murals were painted and this month five more added.
When Chief Minister M.K. Stalin was in Coimbatore recently, he had announced commencement of work worth ₹ 200 crore. The Corporation was in the process of finalising tender for 281 works and by this month end, it would start the work that included laying roads, installing street lights and constructing drains.
In Ukkadam, Ward 86, alone the Corporation would undertake work worth ₹ 15 crore, he told the residents.
Mr. Senthilbalaji said one of the criticisms that the AIADMK had levelled against the Corporation was cancellation of works that were started in the previous regime. It was wrong. In fact, the AIADMK government had started works for which even tenders were not floated.
As for the murals that were painted in the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board tenement in Ukkadam, he said it was a welcome move. He would speak to the Chief Minister to paint more murals in the city, at flyovers, government buildings and other places.
A release from St+art said artists from across the country were here to paint murals depicting everyday life of the residents in Ukkadam. As part of the project, Coimbatore Corporation and St+art had organised competitions for children in Ukkadam.
Ukkadam Art District was the sixth in the country after Lodhi Art District in New Delhi, Mahim Art District in Mumbai, Maqtha Art District in Hyderabad, Panjim Art District in Goa and Kannagi Art District in Chennai.
A release from the Corporation said the Minister distributed prizes to the children who won prizes in the competition and inaugurated a special cleaning drive involving 100 workers at 20 each a zone.
