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Tamil Nadu News Papers

TUFIDCO is nodal agency for State’s flagship urban development scheme

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The Hindu        15.09.2021

TUFIDCO is nodal agency for State’s flagship urban development scheme

It will cover all 121 municipalities and 528 town panchayats

The Tamil Nadu Urban Finance and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (TUFIDCO) would be the nodal agency for the implementation of the ‘Kalaignar Nagarpura Mempattu Thittam’ (KNMT), a new scheme announced by the State government for urban development.

The ambitious scheme that is to be implemented on a total outlay of ₹1,000 crore during 2021-22 would cover all 121 municipalities and 528 town panchayats, since Smart Cities Mission, AMRUT has extensively covered Municipal Corporations and major towns. TUFIDCO would act as the Fund Management Agency of the KNMT fund and would appraise the projects for the scheme, call for tenders for studies and preparation of DPRs, execute/terminate deeds, contracts and agreements, among other functions.

According to the guidelines issued on Tuesday, an Urban Development Plan (UDP) would be prepared for each urban body following a detailed survey so as to assess the present availability of basic infrastructure and the gaps to be fulfilled. “A City Water Balance Plan will be prepared for each urban local body. Similar survey and assessment of the gaps will be undertaken for all needed components of the ULBs concerned,” reads the guidelines.

Based on the UDP, basic needs would be assessed and works would be taken up to fulfil the infrastructure gaps — be it water supply, street lights, roads/streets and lanes, community infrastructure, such as community halls, markets, libraries/knowledge centres, among others.

A five-member Project Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee headed by the Secretary of the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department will decide the sub allocation to municipalities and town panchayats.

 

Waterbodies will be created, rejuvenated across Tamil Nadu, says Minister

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The Hindu        24.08.2021

Waterbodies will be created, rejuvenated across Tamil Nadu, says Minister

Groynes and seawalls will be built in five districts

The Water Resources Department (WRD) will construct waterbodies and channels to conserve floodwater.

This was one of the key announcements made by Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan in the Assembly on Monday. While waterbodies would be created in Vellore, Theni and Dindigul districts, the WRD would build channels in Thoothukudi, Tiruvannamalai, Tiruvallur, Tenkasi and Villupuram to save rainwater that went waste.

The WRD would also construct groynes and seawalls in Chennai, Tirunelveli, Kanniyakumari, Ramanathapuram and Thoothukudi districts to check sea erosion and minimise seawater incursion into fishing villages.

Sources in the WRD noted that such structures in the Ennore Estuary and the mouth of the Cooum in Chennai were part of the 16 projects to be implemented. About 200 waterbodies in 23 districts, including Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu and Tiruvallur, would be taken up for repair, renovation and restoration with the Union government’s financial assistance. The scheme is aimed at desilting the waterbodies and increasing their storage to help improve agricultural productivity and drinking water availability. Similar projects would be executed in the river basins, including those of the Kosasthalaiyar and the Kovalam, with assistance from NABARD, sources said.

Work is in progress to desilt lakes at Cholavaram, Poondi and Chembarambakkam at a cost of ₹20.44 crore and boost their storage to meet the needs of Chennai. There are plans to take up desilting in the Red Hills at an estimated cost of ₹9.90 crore. Clearing silt in these four waterbodies would help to restore the capacity of 1,904 million cubic feet.

Construction of buildings for various circles and divisional offices and for the Institute of Hydrology and Hydraulics at Poondi in Tiruvallur district was one of the announcements made in the Assembly. These buildings would be completed in five years. Besides upgrading the standards of the Irrigation Management Training Institute in Tiruchi, new institutes would be built in Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai with funding from the Union government.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 24 August 2021 07:04
 

Chinnamanur municipality in Theni, Kottayur panchayat in Sivaganga get third prize for best maintenance

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The Hindu      12.08.2021

Chinnamanur municipality in Theni, Kottayur panchayat in Sivaganga get third prize for best maintenance

The Tamil Nadu CM will honour best municipalities and panchayats at the Independence Day celebrations

Chinnamanur in Theni district has been awarded the third prize in Tamil Nadu for ‘Best Maintained Municipality’.

With 27 wards, the mnicipality, which has a little over one lakh population, has been providing potable water to residents, the sewage connections are well maintained and there have been no complaints of stagnation and the roads are laid as per standards.

Th Municipal authorities swung into action from the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic and the spread was contained well in advance. To continue the momentum, vaccination camps too,were held in many locations where a majority of the qualified people were covered.

Municipal Commissioner Shyamala said that the government’ recognition would only make the employees work harder and deliver better services to the community.

Kottayur Panchayat

Staff members at the Kottayur Panchayat in Sivaganga district were in an upbeat mood as the announcement came from the government that it has been awarded third place in Tamil Nadu under the best panchayat category.

After Kallakudi in Tiruchi district and Melpattampakkam in Cuddalore district, Kottayur stood the third best panchayat in the State. With a 6.75 square kilometre radius, the panchayat has 15 wards. As per the 2011 Census, the population was 14,766, while it could be a little over 20000 now, officials said.

Executive Officer of the panchayat, Kavita, said that the ₹3 lakh prize money to be received from the Chief Minister at the Independence Day celebrations in Chennai was a feather in their cap. “We will strive hard and achieve the number one position soon,” she added.

 


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