The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Produce export quality cut flowers: Jayalalithaa

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Dec 16, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Produce export quality cut flowers: Jayalalithaa

By S. Prasad

KRISHNAGIRI, DEC. 15. The Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, today called upon floriculturists in this district to produce flowers of export quality to derive maximum benefit. The cultivation and export of cut flowers such as roses, coronation and gerbera by private floriculturists in Hosur was bringing Rs. 25 crores in foreign exchange a year, she said.

Inaugurating the Rs. 99-crore welfare schemes and laying the foundation stone for the Krishnagiri Master Plan complex, the Chief Minister said the Tamil Nadu Government was establishing an agricultural export zone at Amudhagondapalli with Hosur as headquarters.

Flower show

Ms. Jayalalithaa inaugurated the first International flower show at Hosur through video-conferencing facility from the dais and held discussions with farmers, assuring them that the event would be held every year.

The TANFLORA-Infrastructure Park is coming up on 245 acres on an outlay of Rs. 25 crores.

Private floriculturists would take up greenhouse on 50 hectares cultivation through TANFLORA for export.

Ms. Jayalalithaa said TANFLORA planned to export Rs. 6.75 crore cut flowers a year. In addition Rs. 2.70 crores would be exported through floriculturists in Hosur and Denkanikottai.

The Chief Minister made veiled attacks on her adversaries. Calling them jealous and selfish, she said she would continue to meet the people initiating welfare schemes.

There was need for smaller districts to ensure that welfare schemes of the government reached the people. Close relationship could be forged only when the districts were small. "It was for this purpose that I created the new district of Krishnagiri," the Chief Minister said.

Ms. Jayalalithaa laid the foundation for new projects costing Rs. 59.78 crores.

These include a Rs. 2.95-crore comprehensive drinking water scheme, the Collectorate, a tourism bungalow and the Collector's camp office. She inaugurated 1,200 completed works costing Rs. 26.13 crores including drinking water schemes. She distributed assistance worth Rs. 13.23 crores to 10,754 beneficiaries.

The Minister for Information and Publicity and Local Administration, K.P. Anbazhagan, and the Minister for Agriculture, K. Pandurangan, spoke.

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