Eight town panchayats in Radhapuram Assembly segment in the district, including Valliyoor and Panagudi, will get a new combined drinking water project within a year on an outlay of ₹271 crore, according to Assembly Speaker M. Appavu.
Valliyoor bus stand would be reconstructed at a cost of ₹12 crore and the nearby market would be constructed on an outlay of ₹4.80 crore. Shops in these places would be relocated to temporary outlets to be created nearby. After inspecting them on Monday, Mr. Appavu also visited the site where the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board (TNSCB) proposed to construct 500 houses on five acres in Valliyoor.
Later speaking to reporters, Mr. Appavu said the Panagudi drinking water project, which was implemented by the DMK government led by late Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, remained neglected for the past 10 years and there was no periodic maintenance to ensure earmarked supply of drinking water to residents. Consequently, Valliyoor was getting only 15 lakh litres of water a day, which was insufficient.
Besides invigorating this existing drinking water project, a new combined drinking water project would be executed for the benefit of eight town panchayats in Radhapuram Assembly segment, including Valliyoor and Panagudi town panchayats, to ensure supply of 65 lakh litres of drinking water every day.
The 500 houses to be built by TNSCB would be given to beneficiaries to be identified after due scrutiny of applications. The applicant’s contribution would be ₹1.50 lakh, and the remaining ₹8.50 lakh would be grant to be borne by the government, the Speaker said.
The daily market in Valliyoor would be modernised on 1.42 acres with new shops, which would be handed over to the beneficiaries within six months.
The new modern bus stand would be reconstructed with better amenities, Mr. Appavu said, adding that all the projects would be completed within a year.
Tirunelveli MP S. Gnanathiraviam accompanied the Speaker.
