CUDDALORE: Union Minister of State for Law K. Venkatapathi said the Centre has been approached for more funds for construction of dwelling units under the Indira Awas Yojana in Cuddalore district.

After attending the vigilance committee meeting here, Mr. Venkatapathi told presspersons that the Centre had increased the grant from Rs 35,000 to Rs 50,000 a unit.

Already, 1,650 such units had been constructed in the district, and conversion of 467 kuchcha houses into pucca/semi-pucca houses had been taken up at a cost of Rs.58 lakh.

Still there were requirements for more units. He said 2,460 works had been executed at a total outlay of Rs.1.15 crore from the MP and MLA Local Area Development Funds.

Under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (NREGP), 919 works had been taken up at a cost of Rs.31 crore.

Mr. Venkatapathi said that Rs.27.20 crore had been sanctioned for the Anaithu Grama Anna Marumalarchi Thittam to be implemented in 136 panchayats.

All these works would be completed by May. Besides the grant of Rs.20 lakh to the select panchayats, funds had also been provided from various departments for villages development.

Track extension

The Vriddhachalam-Salem railway line would be extended from Chinna Salem to Kallakurichi for a distance of 18 km, at a cost of Rs.38 crore.

For the construction of four-lane motorway from Salem to Ulundurpet, Rs.940 crore had been sanctioned. He called upon the officials to prepare a list of the physically-and-mentally-challenged persons for extending necessary aid.

Aid to SHGs

Distrcit Collector Rajendra Ratnoo said under the NREGP, 78 per cent of the works had been completed. For starting self-help ventures, financial aid of Rs.10,000 was being given away from the Asian Development Bank funds to the physically-challenged persons.

E. Ponnuswami, MP, K. Megaraj, Project Officer (DRDA), T. Thangaraj, Municipal Chairman, and others participated.

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