Jaya allocates Rs 750 crore for urban development projects

Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Wednesday allocated Rs 750 crore for the implementation of projects under the Integrated Urban Development Mission during the current financial year.

Of this Rs 500 crore will be spent on projects for corporations (other than Chennai) and municipalities and Rs 250 crore will be spent on projects for town panchayats.

As part of her initiative to construct buildings for all town panchayats in the State, the CM granted Rs 6 crore for construction of their own buildings to 15 town panchayats – Pennathur, Panaimarathupatti, Arakandanallur, Pannaikkadu, Chettipalayam, Pallapalayam, Perundurai and Vengambur, Kamudhi, Sayalkudi, Kalakkadu, Thirukkurnkudi, Pathamadai, Thisayanvilai and Aralvaimozhi.

She also sanctioned Rs 1 crore for a new building for the office of the Joint Director of Town Panchayats in Tirunelveli Zone.

According to the 2011 census, 48.45 per cent of the people in Tamil Nadu live in urban areas. By 2030, the urban population is likely to go up to 67 per cent.

Since large numbers of people are migrating to urban areas in search of employment opportunities, the government has to provide basic amenities for them.

Keeping this in mind, the CM has evolved the Integrated Urban Development Mission, under which development work to fulfil all basic amenities in urban areas will be carried out with an expenditure of Rs 6, 654.03 crore.

In the first phase last year the Chief  Minister  earmarked Rs 506.48 crore for corporations (except Chennai) and municipalities and Rs 250.80 crore for urban development projects and the work of those projects is in progress.

The present allocation of Rs 750 crore has been made to further the work.