The State Government has sanctioned 2,480 solar-powered green houses to be built for the poor of the district during the current fiscal, District Collector M. Karunakaran has said.
Speaking to reporters here on Tuesday after inspecting the ongoing development works around Maanur, Azhagiyapandiapuram, Melaneelithanallur and Sankarankovil areas, Dr. Karunakaran said the project on Chief Minister’s solar-powered green houses, which were being built with the government’s assistance, was progressing well and hence the Tamil Nadu Government had approved the district’s good work by sanctioning 2,480 green houses for the current fiscal.
The District Rural Development Agency, which was constructing the houses, had so far built 27,426 green houses for the rural poor and the houses for Sri Lankan refugees under Indra Awas Yojana at the cost of Rs. 370.78 crore since 2011.
Moreover, administrative sanction for constructing 5,000 houses in the villages around Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project on an outlay of Rs. 150 crore had been given.
“The sale of highly subsidized Amma Cement to help the poor has evoked good response as 1,30,800 cement bags have been sold in the district,” he said.
As many as 415 road works had been completed on an outlay of Rs. 126.34 crore over the past four years and Rs. 110.42 crore had been spent for strengthening 8,582 infrastructure facilities in rural areas under the Tamil Nadu Village Habitations Improvement (THAI) Scheme since 2011.
“We’re according highest priority for the construction of individual household toilets in every house to completely wipe out the practice of open defecation. Toilets have been built in 86,248 houses in the district over the past four years at a cost of Rs. 100.07 crore,” said Dr. Karunakaran, who gave away cheques for Rs. 5,000 under ‘Puthu Vaazhvu’ scheme to 750 beneficiaries on Tuesday for toilet construction in addition to the State Government’s assistance of Rs. 12,000.
Construction of school buildings had been completed on an outlay of Rs. 7.18 crore and another Rs. 20.60 crore had been spent for renovating 3,887 government buildings.
“We’ve successfully persuaded the MPs and the MLAs to release funds to the tune of Rs. 357 crore from their constituency or local area development scheme fund for undertaking various development works,” informed the Collector. “Precisely, we’ve completed 1,53,775 works on an outlay of Rs. 1,625.26 crore between 2011-2012 and 2015-2016”.
Project Director, District Rural Development Agency, H. Vijayakumar accompanied the Collector during inspection.
“Sale of Amma Cement to help the poor has evoked good response as 1,30,800 cement bags have been sold”
