Rs 5 cr horti park in Washermanpet

Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday announced construction of cold storage facilities at a cost of Rs 100 crore in Madurai, Erode, Salem, Kancheepuram and Thoothukudi districts for farm products. Making a statement under Rule 110 in the Assembly the Chief Minister said efforts will be taken to enhance the supply chain mechanism of agricultural produce and for this purpose another Rs 100 crore will be spend to strengthen the existing infrastructure.

The cold storage facilities will be powered through solar energy, Palaniswami added.

To ensure ground water recharge and to increase the tree cover across the state, the agriculture department will take a massive distribution of 2.5 crore palm seeds at a cost of Rs 10 crore. To help the farmers, the state agricultural engineering department will also purchase modern agricultural equipment at a cost of Rs 70 crore, the Chief Minister said.

Palaniswami also announced that a new scheme to promote distribution of farm products will be taken up at a cost of Rs 116 crore and this will strengthen the ongoing irrigation works in the state.

The government has upgraded 17 sub agricultural extension centres in the past and for the current year a sum of Rs 40 crore is allotted to establish such seed storing centres. Stressing the significance of diversified farming of small grains, Palaniswami said that the state would promote millet farming by conducting conferences and field activities at a cost of Rs 13.2 crore.

In a boost to the labour dominated north Chennai, the Chief Minister announced an integrated horticulture park at a cost of Rs 5 crore. The new park will come up at a sprawling 5.5-acre area in Washermanpet.

He also announced a 10 per cent hike in dearness allowance for handloom weavers in the state. Pointing out that the state is concerned about the handloom weavers, Palaniswami said that the state would spend around Rs 11 crore to help the weavers covered under state scheme that distributes free dhoti and saree. He also said the interest subsidy given to Tamil Nadu Handloom Weavers Cooperative Society would be increased from four to six per cent in the current fiscal. The state will provide soft loans to a tune of Rs 266 crore to promote agri based industries, he added.

Commenting about the welfare activities of the HR&CE department, Palaniswami said Rs 10 crore will be allotted for the restoration works of 1,000 temples not covered under the department.