KALLAKURICHI: “The AIADMK government is reaching out to the people directly instead of asking them to come forward with their needs,” Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami said on Monday. Seeking people’s cooperation to eradicate the Covid pandemic, Palaniswami said he was travelling across districts to review the containment measures. 

He conducted a meeting with officials in Kallakurichi to review the steps taken. “Thanks to proper action, the pandemic is under control in the district,” Palaniswami said. He also listed out the measures his government had launched for the newly formed district.  Palaniswami laid the stone for 60 new projects worth Rs 20.86 crore and launched the distribution of welfare assistance worth Rs 33.31 crore to 15,061 beneficiaries.

The new medical college in Kallakurichi and the upcoming trauma care facility at government Ulundurpet hospital will improve healthcare in the district, he said.Law Minister CV Shanmugham, MLAs R Kumaraguru and A Prabhu, Collector Kiran Gurrala and senior officials were present.Palaniswami also announced free patta land to homeless people and residential flats to peopleliving in urban and town panchayat areas.  

‘Govt aims to increase milk productivity’

He further said the new medical college in Kallakurichi (`382 crore) and the upcoming trauma care facility ( Rs1.5 crore) at government Ulundurpet hospital would improve healthcare in the district. Speaking about the farmer-friendly initiatives of the government, Palaniswami said a livestock farm and research centre would be set up in Thalaivasal near the Kallakurichi-Salem border.

Stating that his foreign trips helped him realise the milk productivity in the State was less compared to many developed countries, Palaniswami said a institute would be set up in Ooty to do research on developing highly productive breeds. An amount of Rs 48 crore has been earmarked for the project, he added. 

“Further, a chain of cold storage facilities for fruits and vegetables is being setup in various places with funds from both the Central and State governments so that farmers can store their products safely, when the rate is low and sell them when the rate is high,” he said. “Farmers are given assistance in the form of equipment and subsidy.”

Statewide Covid tally crosses  3-lakh mark
Chennai: The State’s tally of Covid-19 cases crossed the three- lakh mark with 5,914 fresh cases being reported on Monday. As many as 114 deaths were also included in the day’s medical bulletin, taking the Statewide death toll to 5,041 

Fresh cases 5,914
Deaths 114