The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Cluster development scheme for stone quarries mooted

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Friday, Apr 18, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Cluster development scheme for stone quarries mooted

Staff Reporter

Mainly for the benefit of women members of SHGs manning them

Utilitarian: Water being pumped out of a quarry in Pudukottai district, using a diesel motor supplied by the District Supply and Marketing Society.

PUDUKOTTAI: The District Supply and Marketing Society (DSMS) have mooted a plan to float a couple of clusters of stone quarries to assist the women members of self-help groups.

The plan, to be implemented under the special infrastructure component of the ‘Swarnajayanthi Gram Swarojgar Yojana’ (SGSY), envisages promotion of one cluster each at the 9A-Nattampannai village, about three km from Pudukottai and Lambalakudi village, about five km from Tirumaiyam.

Each cluster would get special infrastructure including bunker, high tension electric motors to draw conveyor belts, crusher and tipper lorry. The expenditure for the erection of the machinery would also be borne under the programme.

The DSMS have prepared a proposal seeking funds under the ‘Special Infrastrutcure’ component of the SGSY, the District Collector D. Uthirakkumaran said on Saturday.

The quarrying of blue metal in these villages facilitated the viability of the cluster development programme, he said. The Secretary of the DSMS S. Sathyaseelan said that machinery worth Rs.40 lakh would be supplied to each cluster.

Presently, the women members of self-help groups to whom the quarries had been leased out, were manning the quarries through conventional methods. The supply of advanced machinery would boost their economy.

He also said that the DSMS had also supplied diesel motors to pump out stagnant waters from the quarries where mining had been affected by last month’s heavy showers.

As the quarries leased out to the SHGs fell under the purview of the Indian Societies Act, the members of these groups were being sensitised on proper maintenance of accounts and records, Mr. Sathyaseelan said.

A meeting of the animators of the SHGs was held here recently in which the modalities of their administration of quarries, maintenance of accounts and renewal of permits were explained.

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