The Hindu : CM launches project to promote entrepreneurial opportunities

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 06, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

CM launches project to promote entrepreneurial opportunities

By Our Staff Reporter

THENI, JAN. 5. The Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, today announced a scheme for the poor in Theni district for creating entrepreneurial opportunities. It would be implemented as pilot project at an estimated cost of Rs. 35 lakhs at G. Usilampatti in the Andipatti taluk.

Inaugurating new buildings and laying the foundation stone for projects at a function held at Athangaraipatti in the Mayiladumparai union here today, she said the scheme would be implemented only after conducting a survey of the economic condition of poor families in all panchayats.

She said all projects were implemented first at Andipatti. Recently, Anna University introduced Vanilla cultivation. Rural people, particularly women, should undertake the cultivation, which would fetch Rs.52 lakhs an acre annually. Ms. Jayalalithaa asked the people to make use of the profit-making project.

Congratulating self-help group members on their performance, the Chief Minister said the total savings of SHGs touched Rs. 400 crores. Women should become economically independent. The SHG scheme provided a platform for their development. In Theni district, 1,973 SHGs were started and 31,088 women became members.

Stressing the importance of infrastructure development, Ms. Jayalalithaa said the Government allocated Rs.2,518 crores for road development. The Public Works Department Minister, O. Paneerselvam, criticised the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president, M. Karunanidhi, for forming an "opportunistic" alliance for the Lok Sabha election. The Social Welfare Minister, P. Valarmathi, spoke. Earlier, the Chief Minister inaugurated 1,076 projects, completed at a cost of Rs.47.36 crores, including 424 schemes at a cost of Rs.20.40 crores and laid the foundation stone for 376 projects, estimated to cost Rs.75.11 crores.

The new projects included the Kodaikanal— Cochin road, the Dindigul— Kumuli road, 10 drinking water schemes, hostel buildings, upgrading of a primary health centre at Devadhanapatti, a building for women's police station at Bodinaickanur and an Armed Reserve complex.

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