Date:07/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/07/stories/2008100750040100.htm

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Rs. 25 lakh for desilting canal

Shyam Ranganathan

FILE PHOTO

INTERACTION: M. Jayaraman, Nagapattinam Collector, interacting with Arukattuthurai villagers.

NAGAPATTINAM: Thanks to Rashtriya Sam Vikas Yojana (RSVY), fishermen of Arukattuthurai will be able to navigate their boats right till their village. The district administration has sanctioned Rs. 25 lakh for desilting the Vedaranyam canal Uppanaru under the scheme that aims at focused development programmes for backward areas which would help reduce imbalances and speed up development. Collector M. Jayaraman said the desilting would enable fishermen of Arukattuthurai village to use the canal more effectively. For the villagers, it would mean saving time and, most of all, ensuring safety of their boats and nets. When the Collector visited the site two months ago, Vedaranyam MLA S. K.Vedaratnam and the fishermen brought to his (Collector’s) attention the problems they had to face due to silt formation. The Collector had promised then that he would take immediate action to provide relief to the fishermen. During the routine public grievance day meeting on Monday, Mr. Jayaraman sanctioned the funds for desilting.