Rs. 2,905 crore spent for Adi Dravidar welfare: Minister

A. Tamilarasi Minister for Adi Dravidar Welfare, handing over the Cheque to the beneficiary at the Function organized by TAHDCO in Odacherry village in Tiruvarur District on Thursday. U. Mathivanan, Minister for Dairy Development, A.K.S.Vijayan, Nagapattinam MP and M. Chandrasekaran, TIRUVARUR Collector are in the Picture. Photo: M. Srinath

The State government has allotted a sum of Rs. 2,905 crore in the last four years for the education and economic development of Adi Dravidars in the State, said A.Thamizharasi, Minister for Adi Dravidar Welfare at Odachery near here on Thursday.

Speaking after inaugurating a multipurpose community hall and a drying yard constructed at a cost of Rs. 20.14 lakh at Odachery, Ms.Thamizharasi said a sum of Rs. 893 crore has been allotted for the educational and economic development of Adi Dravidars for this year.

"The State government is giving top priority for the educational development of Adi Dravida students. Because of these schemes , their pass per centage in SSLC examination has increased from 70 per cent in 2005-06 to 80 per cent for the current year . With respect to Plus Two, pass per centage has improved from 56 per cent during 2005-06 to 76 per cent.

Under a central scheme implemented in Tiruvarur district 157 villages have been selected based on their Adi Dravida population (each village should have more than 50 per cent of Adi Dravida population) and a sum of Rs. 15.2 crore have been allotted for their infrastructure developments.

Under the NABARD scheme, a sum of Rs. 2.30 crore has been allotted for the infrastructure development in the district.

She said that two schools run by the Adi Dravida department, two middle schools, one at Savalaikaran village in Mannargudi panchayat and another at Abishekakattalai village in Thiruthuraipoondi panchayat union, have been upgraded into high schools. The department has also opened three new hostels in the district.

She also declared open a multipurpose community hall and drying yard for Korkai village in Thithuraipoondi taluk in the same function.

Earlier she declared open a bus stop constructed at a cost of Rs. 7 lakh allotted by the Dairy Development Minister U.Mathivanan from his MLA's local area development fund at Tiruvarur, and additional class rooms constructed under SSA at government middle school, Odachery.

She laid the foundation stone for construction of a Siva temple at a cost of Rs. 20 lakh allotted by the HR and CE department in the same village.

Mr.Mathivanan said Rs. 13 crore worth of development works have been completed in Odachery village. They include a samathuvapuram, approach roads and a bridge across Vettar River.

M.Chandrasekaran, Collector, presided over the meeting. A.K.S.Vijayan, MP, also spoke.