Date:31/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/31/stories/2008123152180300.htm

Tamil Nadu

“70 % works under various schemes over”

Staff Reporter

Tiruvannamalai: Seventy per cent of works under 18 Centrally sponsored schemes allotted for Tiruvannamalai district this year have been completed and the remaining will be over before the end of the current fiscal, Minister of State for Railways R. Velu said on Tuesday.

He was presiding over a Vigilance and Monitory Committee meeting, a forum to review the implementation of Centrally sponsored programmes, held at the Collectorate here.

Speaking to reporters at the end of the meeting, Mr. Velu said that the Centre had allotted Rs.38.54 crore to six districts, including Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram, Cuddalore, as Backward Region Grant Fund .

Two quality roads, one between Paramananthal and Chengam and another between Jamunamarathur and Amirthi would be laid using the fund.

“In the current fiscal, 24,000 individual toilets are to be constructed with government grant under the total sanitation programme in this district. A sum of Rs. 5.28 crore has been allotted for this scheme, which is Rs. 2.4 crore higher than the previous year. Apart from the government grant of Rs.2,200 per toilet, a bank loan of Rs.1,800 for each toilet is being facilitated through self-help groups,” Mr. Velu said.

“As many as 2,890 group houses under the Indira Awas Yojana are being constructed in Tiruvannamalai district at the cost of Rs.15.89 crore. Each of these houses will get a grant of Rs.55,000 under the scheme and Rs.2,200 under the total sanitation programme. More group houses can be allotted to this district using Backward Region Grant Fund,” Mr. Velu said.

Swajaldara, a State public participatory scheme for providing drinking water to communities, had been revived.

According to new guidelines, the public would have to contribute 20 per cent of the cost and the remaining would be borne by the government. Krishnapuram, Palvarthuvenran and Athimur near Polur would be benefited by this scheme, he said.

Collector M. Rajendran and project officer of DRDA B.R.K. Ramesh participated in the meeting.