CM announces ₹1,000-croreprojects to boost infrastructure

Works will be taken up in Corporations, Municipalities, Town Panchayats across T.N.

Edappadi K. Palaniswa

Damaged roads and other infrastructure in areas falling under the Greater Chennai Corporation, other Corporations, Municipalities and Town Panchayats across the State will be repaired at a cost of ₹1,000 crore, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami informed the Assembly on Thursday.

Mr. Palaniswami said a total of ₹610 crore would be spent on an underground sewerage system for the Coimbatore Corporation, under which 14 new wards have been included.

Funds to the tune of ₹310 crore would be allocated towards ensuring piped drinking water supply in 57 wards of the Madurai Corporation, as part of the third phase. The CM said ₹50 crore would be earmarked for boosting infrastructure at Bodinayakkanur in Theni district.

Following a study, a detailed project report would be prepared for establishing efficient transport systems in the cities of Coimbatore and Madurai. Under the Smart City project, an Innovation Exhibition Centre would be set up in Chennai with new ideas from entrepreneurs and students. As part of afforestation efforts, tree saplings would be planted using the Miyawaki method in empty spaces available in Corporations and Municipalities across the State, the CM said. Mr. Palaniswami also announced that the 64,583 sanitary workers involved in cleaning activities across 15 Corporations, 121 Municipalities, 528 Town Panchayats and 12,525 Village Panchayats would henceforth be called

thooimai paniyalargal .

While ₹213.26 crore would be earmarked for roads and other infrastructure in narrow streets in rural areas during 2020-21, around 1,200 small and minor bridges would be built in rural areas in various districts at a cost of ₹170.18 crore.A total of 299 rural roads covering 1,044 km would be developed at a cost of ₹553.07 crore, and link roads for about 1,150 km in remote villages would be laid at a cost of ₹246.90 crore, he said.

Around 10,000 cement concrete check dams in rural areas at a cost of ₹460 crore; perimeter walls for schools in rural areas at a cost of ₹440.05 crore; and 15,000 shelters for farm animals at a cost of ₹258.60 crore were among the other announcements. Around 1,000 wells would be dug at a cost of ₹98.65 crore to boost irrigation in rural areas across the State, the CM said.