The annual government exhibition brought up by the State Information and Public Relations Department got under way at the Bose maidan in the city on Saturday.
Minister for Information and Publicity Kadambur Raju declared the exhibition open in the presence of Minister for Public Works Department, State Highways and Minor Ports Edappadi K. Palaniswami.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Kadambur Raju said that Salem was the first city in Tamil Nadu to host government exhibition.
He said that the state government has proposed to construct flyovers in Salem city at an outlay of Rs. 621 crore. In the first phase, it has already sanctioned Rs. 461 crore and the flyovers construction works are already in progress.
The completion of these projects will give a big facelift to the city, Mr. Raju added. Mr. Palaniswami said that the government has accorded priority for implementing projects for uplifting all sections of the society. The government recently waived the farm loans to the tune of Rs. 5,785 crore, which benefited 16.94 lakh small and marginal farmers. In Salem district alone the farm loans to the tune of Rs. 634 crore procured by 1.27 farmers have been written off.
District Collector V. Sampath presided over the inaugural. The Ministers distributed welfare assistance worth Rs. 1.75 crore under different government schemes to 390 beneficiaries belonging to weaker sections. Mayor S. Soundappan, V. Panneerselvam, K. Kamaraj and P. R. Sundaram, MPs, and others spoke.
A total of 37 pavilions have been set up in the exhibition which will be continued for 45 days.
