The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Stalin opens high-level bridge at Vriddhachalam

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Sunday, Jun 10, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Stalin opens high-level bridge at Vriddhachalam

A.V. Ragunathan

It replaces a bridge damaged in 2004 floods

— Photo: T. Singaravelou

NEW BRIDGE: Local Administration Minister M.K. Stalin inaugurates the newly constructed bridge across the Manimutharu at Vriddhachalam on Saturday.

VRIDDHACHALAM : Local Administration Minister M.K. Stalin inaugurated a high-level bridge, built at a cost of Rs. 6 crore, across the Manimutharu at Vriddhachalam on Saturday.

A few spans of the 125-year-old bridge caved in following unprecedented floods in the river in November 2004, and when the officials tried to blast off the damaged portion, it damaged the ancient structure, rendering it unusable.

Mr. Stalin said though the erstwhile All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam had announced a proposal to reconstruct the bridge, it had not made any allocation. But Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi had sanctioned Rs.5.50 crore for the purpose. The lighting arrangement was made at a cost of Rs.49 lakh.

Mr. Stalin said the Government had allotted Rs.100 crore for construction of 14 high-level bridges in the State and another Rs.230 crore for improving roads and bridges.

For the construction of the underground drainage, Rs. 40.40 crore was sanctioned to the Cuddalore municipality. As for the Chidambaram municipality, a proposal for Rs.38.70 crore had been sent to the Government, and for the Vriddhachalam municipality, the preliminary study was under way.

Union Minister of State for Law K. Venkatapathi, Backward Classes Welfare Minister M.R.K. Panneer Selvam, Highways Minister M.P. Swaminathan, Collector Rajendra Ratnoo, and, G. Aiyappan, K. Selvam, D. Ravikumar and Saba Rajendran, MLAs, were present.

DMDK leader and Vriddhchalam constituency MLA A. Vijayakant was not present on the occasion.

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