Centre and Tamil Nadu govt sponsor Rs 42crore projects in minority areas

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government, along with the central government, will launch welfare projects , costing Rs 42 crore, in the minorities constituted areas of nine districts in the state.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram scheme, the governments will implement, for the first time, 61 projects, aimed at improving the socio-economic conditions of the minorities and providing basic amenities to improve quality of life.

The minority concentration blocks and towns and clusters of minority concentration villages have been identified to create infrastructure, mainly in sectors like education, health and skill development.

In the first batch costing Rs 24.25 crore, 57 projects like construction of anganwadis, fish drying yards, sub-health centres, common service services and toilet blocks have been sanctioned in districts like Coimbatore, Kanyakumari, Pudukkottai, Dindigul, Tuticorin, Karur, Nagapattinam, Tenkasi and Tirunelveli. The state government gave administrative and financial sanction for the projects.

While the state government sent a proposal of 262 projects costing Rs 276 crore to the Union ministry of minority affairs for approval, the empowered committee of the ministry approved only 57 projects in its 25th meeting.

“The scheme fills the gaps in infrastructure and is being implemented for the first time in the state. A second batch of projects at Rs 18 crore has also been sanctioned making it a total of Rs 42 crore,” BC, MBC and minorities welfare secretary B Chandra Mohan said.

The second set of four projects, a hospital building in Karur, additional buildings for primary health centres and patient block in Vellore district have got approvals from the 26th empowered committee meeting held recently. The ministry’s clearance is awaited.

While the minorities constitute 19.3% of the total population in the country as per the last census, the Union government has identified the areas based on the substantial population of minority communities -- 25% of minority population in the area and backwardness parameters.

At least 12 districts, four blocks, Gudalur, Manamelkudi, Mandapam and Thiruvadanai, and 18 local bodies, including Vaniyambadi, Dindigul, Nagapattinam, Keelakarai, Tuticorin, Tirunelveli and Nagercoil fall in the category.