About 75 % of the works had already been completed and the execution of the rest of the project had been speeded up, Mr. Thangamani said while speaking at a function to launch the work of laying roads in the areas where the UGD works had already been completed here recently.

He said that the State Government launched the UGD project in Rasipuram at Rs. 55.42 crore. While Rs. 43.46 crore was sanctioned under the Integrated Urban Development Mission, the rest Rs. 11.99 crore was borne by the Rasipuram Municipality.

The works on Swami Sivananatha road, Pudupalayam road, and C. P. Kannaiya street had already been completed.

The government had sanctioned Rs. 2 crore under the Urban Road Development Project to lay roads in these areas. Apart from the roads, storm water drains would also be constructed along the road.

Mr. Thangamani said that Social Welfare Minister V. Saroja had taken up the matter of drinking water problem prevailing in Rasipuram town to the notice of the Chief Minister. “We have demanded a separate comprehensive drinking water scheme for supplying potable water to all the 27 wards in the town,” he said adding that the execution of the water scheme would put an end to the complaints of water scarcity.

Ms. Saroja said that all efforts had been taken to finish the UGD works by next year.

She said of the 10,000 household connections planned under this project, 5,252 connections had already been given. The treatment plant was coming up at Thattankuttai area, she added.

The ‘Smart Hospitals’ initiative of the Madurai Corporation will facilitate delivery of quality healthcare at its hospitals at affordable cost, said Commissioner S. Aneesh Sekhar on Monday.

The Commissioner told The Hindu he would strive to focus on hospitals falling under the ‘area-based development’ zone of the Smart City Mission.

There are currently three hospitals that have been shortlisted for the first phase of smart healthcare delivery.

They are primary health centres and maternity homes located in Baskaradas Nagar, East Veli Street and South Gate. The smart hospital project is set to improve the hospital capacity tracking facility, emergency management, fire detection and tele-health, according to an official of the health department of the corporation.

“Smart hospital aims at improving the user experience and providing infrastructure that matches or beats the private healthcare providers. Waiting areas will be cleaner and inpatient facilities will improve. Special attention will be given to the needs of staff and paramedics too,” said the Commissioner.

“Though the project does not immediately set out to increase the number of hospital beds, it looks to revamp the existing infrastructure. The initiative is currently in the ‘detailed project report’ stage and cost estimates will be available to the public after the reports are approved,” said Dr. Sekhar.

A total of Rs. 334 crore of Madurai’s Smart City Mission fund has gone into heritage conservation and open spaces enhancement. About Rs. 300 crore has been pumped into improving basic infrastructure such as water, sewage and roads.

This initiative would encourage citizens to approach government organisations for healthcare, said the Commissioner.