The Pudukottai district branch of the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) will get a new building soon.
The society set up 35 years ago has been functioning from a rented building.
The new premises will come up near the Pudukottai union office in the town at an outlay of Rs.15 lakh.
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The District Collector, C.Manoharan, chairman of the society’s district branch, laid the foundation stone on Wednesday.
The State government recently allotted 31 cents of land for the construction of the new facility.
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Mr. Manoharan said that it has been planned to raise donations from philanthropists for the project, and urged people of the district to donate liberally, taking advantage of income tax relief.
It has been proposed to create facilities including blood bank, orphanage, and disaster management training centre at the site.
Mr.Manoharan lauded the service rendered by the Pudukottai branch of the IRCS during disasters. Donations to the tune of Rs.2.10 lakh for the project were handed over to the Collector at the function.
J.Raja Mohamed, honorary secretary of the society,, said that IRCS has been conducting special camps in 10 coastal villages of the district to create awareness on health and hygiene, disaster management, child welfare, first aid, and blood donation .
Rehabilitation projectsThe Red Cross has taken up post-tsunami rehabilitation projects in two coastal villages with the aim of creating additional facilities and overall economic development of the fishermen community.
The Rs.35-lakh project, financially supported by the IRCS , was implemented in R.Pudhupattinam in Avudaiyarkoil taluk and V.Pudhukudi in Manamelkudi taluk, Dr.Mohamed said.
Seenu Chellappa, chairman, Pudukottai branch of the IRCS, and Rajaraman, Revenue Divisional Officer, spoke.