Rs 1,000 cr upgrade for Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai roads

Making suo motu statement under Assembly Rule 110, the Chief Minister said that roads in urban areas would be repaired and restored at a cost Rs 1,000 crore.

Coimbatore will get new storm water drains at a cost of Rs 610 crore and Madurai city will get Rs 310 crore for providing drinking water in 57 municipal wards, Palaniswami said.

The Chief Minister also announced that 64,583 sanitary workers employed by urban and rural civic bodies in the state will now be christened as cleanliness workers to honour their work. Periodic health check-ups, special employment camps and skill development for the children of health workers were also being carried out, he said. As many as 64,583 sanitary workers are employed with 15 corporations, 121 municipalities, 528 town panchayats and 12,525 village panchayats, he said.

The CM also said a scheme to install smart meters for 42 lakh electricity consumers will be taken up at a cost of Rs 4,300 crore.

He also announced other schemes to develop power distribution infrastructure to meet the increasing demand at an estimated cost of Rs 1,998 crore. Such plans include upgradation of a 230 KV (Kilovolt) substation at Alagarkoil in Madurai district into a 400 KV station and enhancing two 110 KV sub-stations into 230 KV facilities. To ensure uninterrupted power supply in coastal districts, including Kancheepuram and Kanniyakumari during times of natural calamities, electricity distribution overhead lines stretching to about 200 km will be converted into underground cables, theCM noted.

Palaniswami also announced schemes to construct 15,000 shelters for livestock. The state will construct 9,000 sheds for cow and another 600 sheds for goats and this move will improve the state’s livestock resources.

For Public Works Department, the Chief Minister said a sum of Rs 440 crore will be earmarked to construct 10,000 concrete check dams. To ease traffic congestion and improve roads small causeways and bridges will be constructed at a cost of Rs 170 crores, the CM added.