CM Stalin inaugurates Rs 71.94 crore rural development buildings in 10 districts

CHENNAI: Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday inaugurated the buildings of panchayat unions in 10 districts constructed at a cost of Rs 71.94 crore by the state Rural Development and Panchayat Raj department.

The scheme of replacing old panchayat union buildings with new buildings was launched in 2008 during the 2006-11 DMK regime.

Of the 290 buildings sanctioned, as many as 244 new buildings have been constructed so far, an official release issued by the state government after the Chief Minister inaugurated the buildings of 19 Panchayat Unions said.

The buildings inaugurated by the chief minister would accommodate Kannankudi, Manamadurai, Singampurani, Tirupuvanam and Tirupattur unions in Sivagangai district, Theni and Cumbum unions in Theni district, Koradacheri union in Tiruvarur district, Thiyagadurgam and Rishivandiyam unions in Kallakurichi district, Melur union in Madurai district, Ramanathapuram union in Ramanathapuram district, Thurinjapuram, Tiruvannamalai, Peranamallur and Polur unions in Tiruvannamalai district, Thakkalai union in Kanyakumari district, Vaiyampatti union in Trichy district and Katpadi union in Vellore district.

Chief Minister Stalin also flagged off 391 new vehicles procured at a cost of Rs 35.25 lakh for the use of district collectors, project directors of rural development agency, executive engineers and assistant directors and assistant executive engineers and block development officers among others.

As per the government release, as many 725 vehicles worth Rs 83.80 crore have been procured for the use of rural development and panchayat department officials since the time the DMK returned to power in May 2021. State minister Durai Murugan (water resources minister), I Periyasamy (rural development), E V Velu (PWD minister) and T R B Rajaa (Industries) and chief secretary Shiv Das Meena were present during the inauguration.