ENJOY: Minister for Local Administration, M.K.Stalin, distributing free colour TV to a beneficiary in Dharmapuri on Thursday. - Photo: N. Bashkaran

Dharmapuri : Minister for Local Administration M.K. Stalin inaugurated the second phase of distribution of free colour TVs on Thursday.

Laying the foundation stone for various schemes costing Rs. 20.72 crore he said that 30,000 TVs were distributed in the first phase.

A total of 25 lakh TVs would be distributed during the second phase. Underground sewerage scheme will be implemented in Dharmapuri district at an outlay of Rs.16.51 crore.

Mr. Stalin said that the self-help group movement was first started by Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi in the erstwhile combined Dharmapuri district.

A sum of Rs.45 was provided as training fee for SHGs. But the successive AIADMK government reduced the training fee to Rs.7.50. Similarly the training period was also reduced from four days to two days.

Revolving fund, which was now being provided only to rural SHGs, has been extended to even SHGs in urban areas. The Anaithu Gramam Anna Marumalarchi Thittam was introduced with the objective of developing panchayats into self-sustained independent units. The State Government will introduce marketing avenues to help SHGs sell their products. The Minister distributed Rs. 2.20 lakh to 44 SHGs and Rs. 17.25 lakh as revolving fund to 69 urban SHGs. He distributed Rs. 5.15 lakh as revolving fund to 16 youth groups and Rs. 21.51 crore as loans to 15,723 SHG members.

The Minister distributed learning materials worth Rs.3.25 lakh to 1,332 children studying in special schools run by National Child Labour Project and Rs. 32.76 lakh as welfare measures to 26,986 beneficiaries.

Collector Pankaj Kumar Bansal and R. Senthil, MP, spoke.

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