RailEnquiry

Tuticorin would soon have a ship building yard and also get a desalination plant as part of the package announced by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa to develop the southern districts.The erstwhile combined Ramnad district – comprising the present Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga and Virudhunagar districts – have been presented with a bouquet of development programmes by the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa. In her speech at the Collectors’ conference in Chennai on Wednesday, she unveiled plan for the overall development of the southern districts, with special reference to Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga and Virudhunagar. Part of the package is the creation of a special Socio Economic Development Fund for Sivaganga and Ramanathapuram as in the case of Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts, according to a press release.Among the southern districts, Ramanathapuram got the maximum number of schemes sanctioned. They included upgrading of the district headquarters hospital to the level of a medical college hospital; creation of a unit for communicable diseases in the Rameswaram hospital and a mental hospital for Erwadi. In order to expedite industrialization of south Tamil Nadu, the Chief Minister announced the conversion of Ramanathapuram-Tuticorin road as a four-lane highway and its development as an industrial corridor. A mega power project would also be established in the district along with a solar energy park and fish processing parks. The government, she said, would start co-educational colleges in Kadaladi, Mudukulathur and Tiruvadanai. To improve water supply, it had been planned to construct four check dams across the Vaigai in the district. An additional building would be constructed in the Master Plan Complex for accommodating 35 departments now functioning in rented buildings. A bypass road would come around Parthibanur. It had been planned to install CC TV cameras at places of worship in Pillayarpatti, Rameswaram and Erwadi. Repeater stations for Tiruvadanai and Kamuthi and two highway patrols were the other announcements for the district.Announcing the construction of a bus stand for Pillaiyarpatti, Ms. Jayalalithaa said that the overbridge on the left bank of the Vaigai at Manjalpattinam, connecting Ilayankudi and Paramakudi, would be repaired. A food processing training and research centre would come up in Sivaganga, she said. The Tangedco would set up a sub-station at Pottapalayam. Devakottai, Ilayankudi, Manamadurai and Singampunari would soon have traffic police stations and two armed reserve platoons would be sanctioned for Sivaganga, she said. In order to augment facilities at the Theni Medical College, she sanctioned an MRI facility.

The other announcements for Theni district included a sports hostel; road between Chinnamanur and Megamalai; admission of Tamil children staying on the border with Kerala in hostels in the district and a community hall at the border near Kannagi Temple for use by police personnel deployed for bandobust duty.

With an eye on safety in fireworks units in Virudhunagar district, the Chief Minister announced that it would be made mandatory to maintain the roads leading to fireworks units to facilitate speedy rescue operations in case of blast and installation of sprinklers on the ceiling to effectively put out fire. An outer ring road would be established in Sivakasi. A railway overbridge would come up at Tiruthangal and a government arts and science college at Sivakasi. A National Highway traffic unit would be stationed at Rajapalayam and an AR company at Watrap. Three acres of municipal land would be transferred to the Transport Department for providing parking facility at Kodaikanal and ghat roads would be widened.

A mega tourism project would be taken up in Mannavanur. A trauma care Centre would be provided for Palani and additional buildings for the Dindigul hospital. A check dam would be constructed at Kilkundaru in Kodaikanal for augmenting drinking water supply. The government would sanction a new water supply scheme for renovate heritage buildings in Kanyakumari. She also announced the construction of additional four floors for the Collectorate in Nagercoil at a cost of Rs. 9 crore.

Separate police personnel would be sanctioned to man the 37 inter-state check posts in Kanyakumari district.

Tuticorin

Roads leading to Tiruchendur temple would be renovated and a synthetic hockey turf would come up at Kovilpatti and a water sports centre would come up in Manappad. A government arts and science college would be sanctioned for Kovilpatti . Sea erosion prevention structures would come up in Vembaar, Veerapandipattinam, Periyathazhai, Kallamozhi and Keelavaipar. Tuticorin would have a ship building yard and a desalination plant.

She announced an increase in subsidy for conversion of bottom trawlers by 50 per cent and subsidy for purchase of scuba diving equipment for skin divers.