The Hindu 09.11.2009
Work on Hogenakkal scheme to begin in March: Stalin
Staff Reporter
| Says it will start as per schedule and finish before March 2012 |
— Photo: N. Bashkaran 
Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin after unveiling the Periyar statue at Paruvathanaalli in Dharmapuri district on Sunday.
DHARMAPURI: Work on the Hogenakkal Integrated Drinking Water Scheme would start as per schedule in March 2010, said Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin here on Sunday.
Mr. Stalin said the project would be undertaken in five stages. Tenders were floated for five stages of works, the tenders would be finalised soon and the actual work for the scheme would start in full swing well before March. The project would be completed before March 2012, he said.
The bids of the tenders for the first stage of works would be opened on Wednesday. Nine companies have participated.
Bids for the second stage would be opened on December 21, third stage on December 31, fourth stage on November 20 for supplying drinking water to Hosur and fifth stage on December 29.
Mr. Stalin was here to lay the foundation stone, inaugurate new buildings and distribute revolving funds to self-help groups (SHGs) and inaugurated the fifth Samathuvapuram in Paruvathanaalli village in Pennagaram taluk.
Lion’s share
Rs.11,132 crore worth of loans were distributed to SHGs in the country, out of which Tamil Nadu got the lion’s share of nearly 20 per cent, that is, Rs.2,174 crore, during the 2008-09 fiscal year.
On the eve of Periyar E.V. Ramasamy 95th birth anniversary, Chief Minister Karunanidhi announced that 95 Samathuvapurams would be established across the State. As per his announcement, so far 29 Samathuvapurams were established in the State, of which 10 were already inaugurated. The first was inaugurated by the Chief Minister. Another 19 would be inaugurated before December 31.
Mr. Stalin said that another 30 Samathuvapurams would be set up during the 2010-11 financial year and the rest in the following fiscal.
He laid the foundation stone for the Harur Samathuvapuram at an outlay of Rs.21.17 crore.
Revolving fund
He also laid the foundation for 747 development works through various departments at a total outlay of Rs.56.76 crore, inaugurated new buildings and work to the tune of Rs.29.82 crore and gave away financial assistance to 55,221 beneficiaries to the tune of Rs.31.74 crore.
Mr. Stalin also distributed Rs.7.80 crore as revolving fund to 1,311 women SHGs.
Earlier, R. Thamaraiselvan, Dharmapuri M.P.; V. Mullaivendan, Morappur M.L.A.; and P. Dilli Babu demanded a SIPCOT industrial estate and an arts college in Harur, mango pulp industry in Palacode and malibnum industry at Harur.
In her presidential speech, Collector P. Amutha joined issue with the people’s representatives.
