THOOTHUKUDI: Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami inaugurated Rs 1.34 crore-worth memorial of Dr Sivanthi Aditanar at Tiruchendur here on Saturday. He also laid the foundation stone for development projects worth Rs 260 crore. Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, Information and Publicity Minister Kadambur C Raju, Thiruvaikundam MLA SP Shanmuganathan and other dignitaries were present on the occasion. Dr Sivanthi Aditanar, a media baron who ran a daily newspaper Daily Thanthi was a Padma Shri awardee, and served as the President of Indian Olympic Association between 1987 and 1996.
“He was known for promoting and encouraging sports and traditional games in villages in southern districts,” he said, adding that the AIADMK government has been honouring the legends with memorials and that 20 memorials, four statues, two memorial arches have been built in the last nine years. During the event, Palaniswami also inaugurated 15 projects implemented at an estimated cost of Rs 71.90 crore that include a laboratory worth Rs 3.5 crore at Government Thoothukudi Medical College Hospital.
The Chief Minister also laid the foundation stone for 47 projects worth Rs 260.6 crore, including Rs 102.97 crore- worth smart city mission projects, Rs 72.22 crore- worth slum clearance board project and Rs 34 crore- worth Tamil Nadu Electricity Board projects. Welfare aids worth Rs 32.42 crore were also distributed to 6,944 beneficiaries during the function.
Addressing the gathering, Palaniswami said, “Of the 35 announcements made during the MGR centenary function in 2017, fifteen projects have been completed and the remaining 20 projects are underway.”Palaniswami announced nine projects, including construction of groyne in Alanthalai village at an estimated cost of Rs 52.46 crore for the fourth phase of Thamirabarani-Karumeni-Nambiyaru rivers interlinking project, a check dam worth Rs 3.7 crore at Amarapuram on Karumeni river, new taluk office building worth Rs 3.30 crore for Sathankulam, Aavin department building at an estimated cost of Rs 2 crore at Aniyaparanallur, combined drinking water improvement scheme for 180 villages worth Rs 10.85 crore, market infrastructure at Sathankulam, Thiruvaikundam, Tiruchendur and Udangudi, and drinking water augmentation schemes at Alwarthirunagari, Nazerath and Perungulam.
Free laptops for class 11 students of orphanage
Thoothukudi: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniwami announced free laptops for orphan students of St Joseph Charity Institute in Adaikalapuram near Tiruchendur on Saturday.
“Free laptops would be given to students studying in Class XI from June this year,” he said, adding that former parliamentarian and Dr MGR Educational and Research Institute Chancellor AC Shanmugam came forward to donate two rice-laden lorries for the institution free of cost. Earlier, the parish priest of the institution had requested the State government to provide free laptops to the orphan students so that they could enhance their knowledge and complete higher studies.