Tamil Nadu - Cuddalore   

Rs. 8.45 crore for renovation of temples in Cuddalore

— Photo: C. Venkatachalapathy

Health Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam giving away bicycles to archakas at the Devanatha Swamy temple at Thiruvahindrapuram.

CUDDALORE: Temple renovation works in Cuddalore district were taken up last year at a cost of Rs. 8.45 crore of which Devanatha Swamy temple at Thiruvahindrapuram alone accounted for Rs. 3.62 crore, Health Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam has said.

He was speaking at a function held on the temple premises on Monday to give away free bicycles to 399 archakas. The Minister said that a ‘mandapam' had been built and cement roads laid at the temple.

Besides, a sum of Rs. 25 lakh was spent on setting up a park at the temple under the Ancient Temple Scheme.

Mr. Panneerselvam said that for the benefit of archakas, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi had formed a separate welfare board which was disbursing financial assistance of Rs. 1,500 towards the education of their wards and Rs. 15,000 for funeral expenses.The archakas were also given a monthly pension of Rs. 750.

Bicycles for students

Later, the Minister gave away 1,716 free bicycles to students at a function held at Kurinjipadi Government Higher Secondary School. Students of nine schools located at Vadalur, Kurinjipadi, Karunguzhi, Anadarmullipallam and Kullanchavadi benefited from the scheme.

The Minister noted that as many as 20,760 bicycles and 68,615 free bus passes were given last year to students in the district.

A total of 29 high schools were upgraded as higher secondary schools, 81 middle schools as high schools and 27 primary schools as middle schools last year.

With NABARD assistance, additional class rooms were being built in the Kurinjipadi government school at a cost of Rs. 98 lakh.

Collector P. Seetharaman, District Revenue Officer S. Natarajan, Joint Commissioner (HR & CE-Villupuram) C. Thangaraj, Assistant Commissioner (HR & CE) R. Jagannathan, Cuddalore municipal chairman T. Thangarasu, Chief Educational Officer Amudhavalli and District Education Officer Parvathimani were present at the function.

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