Rs.1, 000-cr. package for Tirunelveli, Tuticorin

An underground drainage system will be implemented to prevent sewage from polluting the Tamiraparani

Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Monday unveiled a Rs.1,000-crore package for the cities of Tirunelveli and Tuticorin.

An official release said the government would spend Rs. 230 crore on a scheme for augmenting the drinking water supply and distribution network in the Tirunelveli Corporation. The tenders would be floated soon.

An underground drainage system would be implemented, in phases, at a cost of Rs. 490 crore to prevent sewage from the uncovered areas in the corporation from polluting the Tamiraparani.

Besides, roads to a length of 61 km would be re-laid at a cost of Rs. 35 crore. Modernisation of the bus terminus and a multi-parking facility were also on the cards.

Roads in new areas

In Tuticorin, the underground drainage system would be taken up in the corporation’s expanded areas and in localities that were left out of the earlier schemes at a cost of Rs. 300 crore. About 30 km of roads would be created in the newly expanded areas such as Athimarapatti, Meelavittan, Muthiapuram and Sangaraperi at a cost of Rs. 20 crore.

Mayoral elections

The package comes ahead of the mayoral elections in both corporations, sources say. A few weeks ago, the State Election Commission even announced the schedule for the elections but cancelled it hours later.

According to the release, the government had been executing projects worth Rs. 413 crore in Tuticorin and Rs. 327 crore in Tirunelveli for the past three years for creating amenities and strengthening infrastructure. While most of the projects were completed, the others were in progress.