Tamil Nadu

Rice, cash allocated

Special Correspondent

VILLUPURAM: Under the National food-for-work programme, Villupuram district has been allotted 15,679 tonnes of rice and Rs 1526.93 lakhs in cash (both aggregating to Rs 2412.79 lakhs) for the year 2004-05, according to J. Sampath, Project Officer, District Rural Development Agency.

In a statement released here today, Mr Sampath stated that works such as water conservation, drought relief, tree plantation, afforestation, formation of all weather roads, flood protection walls, construction of drainage in water logged areas and other area-specific works would be taken up under the programme.

He said that so far 2,034 works had been taken up: 1609 works in the panchayats unions and 425 through the Public Works Department, and the forest and agricultural engineering departments.

Mr Sampath said that all the works would be executed by manual labour by June-end.

However, the district secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), G.Anandan, has alleged that hundreds of works under the programme are being executed through machinery. At places such as Pilrampattu, Madavilagam and Poondi the villagers had obstructed such mechanised works.

Mr Anandan said when such violations were brought to the notice of the district administration the works were cancelled.

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