Chennai: Waterbodies and parks in urban local bodies in Tamil Nadu will be restored and amenities upgraded at an estimated cost of Rs 300 crore, Municipal Administration Minister K N Nehru said on Tuesday.
Also, the government would implement the urban wage employment programme to improve the livelihood of the urban poor at a cost of Rs 100 crore, he told the Assembly.
The scheme aims at providing employment to the urban poor by engaging them in the creation and maintenance of public assets like parks, play fields, storm water drains, roads, buildings and rejuvenation of water bodies.
“This will be implemented this fiscal in two zones in the Greater Chennai Corporation, one zone each in other corporations, municipalities and 37 town panchayats,” the Minister said.
Waterbodies and parks will be restored under the Namakku Naame Thittam a participatory demand driven scheme in the urban areas as indicated in the Budget besides sports facilities, tree plantation, constructing or upgrading school buildings, dispensary buildings, libraries, study rooms etc., will be taken up in Greater Chennai Corporation, municipalities and Town Panchayats.
Further, infrastructure like community halls, modern libraries and markets will be created at a cost of Rs 100 crore, the Minister said while winding up the debate on the demand for grants to his department.
As envisaged in the Budget, the government will implement the Kalaignar Nagarpura Mempattu Thittam to bridge the infrastructure gap in the urban areas for Rs 1,000 crore.
Nehru said six municipalities: Tambaram, Kancheepuram, Kumbakonam, Karur, Cuddalore and Sivakasi, will be upgraded as municipal corporations. The municipal corporations of Tiruchirappalli, Nagercoil, Thanjavur and Hosur besides Chengalpattu, Poonamallee and Mannargudi municipalities will be expanded by adding the areas around.