&w=3840&q=100)
Over 72,000 houses built under Tamil Nadu scheme to make state 'hut-free'
During the Budget for 2024-25, the government announced the 'noble goal' of creating a 'hut-free Tamil Nadu' by 2030, and that eight lakh concrete houses would be built in rural areas to replace huts.
An assistance of Rs 3,50,000 each was provided to the beneficiaries under the scheme. Nearly Rs 7,000 crore was sanctioned for the construction of two lakh houses in two years (2024-25 and 2025-26). "So far, 72,081 houses have been completed. The construction of the remaining houses is in various stages of progress," the government said in a release here.
Provisions have also been made for the needy beneficiaries to receive loan assistance of up to Rs one lakh through banks.
On the repair and reconstruction of houses in seven districts affected by cyclone and floods in 2023, the release said Chief Minister M K Stalin has ordered to sanction Rs 168.14 crore to reconstruct 3,591 fully damaged houses at an estimated cost of Rs 4 lakh each and to repair 1,057 partially damaged houses of upto Rs 2 lakh each. Out of a total of 4,648 houses sanctioned, 4,159 houses were completed and the construction of the remaining 489 houses was under progress.
"M K Stalin assumed office as Chief Minister in 2021. Various schemes implemented through the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department such as Anaithu Grama Anna Marumalarchi Thittam, Kalaignarin Kannavu Illam, Namakku Naame Thittam, Sanitation schemes, and drinking water connection schemes have elevated rural areas in Tamil Nadu on par with urban areas, making the state a pioneer for other Indian states," the release said.
"It is a well-known fact that Tamil Nadu consistently receives awards from the Union Government and accolades from the media," it added.
Following the footsteps of late Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, Stalin is implementing various progressive schemes for the advancement of rural areas in Tamil Nadu, including roads, drinking water schemes, housing, and Periyar Ninaivu Samathuvapuram (Periyar Memorial Equality Villages).
"These schemes serve as a guide for other Indian states," the release stated and highlighted the numerous schemes.
Under the Chief Minister's initiative to improve rural roads in Tamil Nadu (Mudalvarin Grama Saalaigal Membattu Thittam) introduced during 2022-23, Stalin sanctioned the improvement of 20,000 kms of rural roads for Rs 8,000 crore. So far, 9,696 road projects covering a length of 12,572 km have been improved at an estimated cost of Rs 4,609 crore. Further, 6,671 Kilometers of roads are being improved at an estimated cost of Rs 3,529 crore.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
19 minutes ago
- Indian Express
North Block is leaving the building, with files, stationery and nostalgia
In its 94-year existence, North Block has seen a lot. It was the seat of power of the colonial British government, the site of spontaneous celebrations when India became Independent in 1947, and, ever since, has been a witness to successive governments shaping policy for the nation. These days, however, the corridors of the building are nearly deserted, with sections roped off, and locks hanging on doors that till recently hid a flurry of activity. The building is in the process of being emptied as part of the government's plan to redevelop the Central Vista area – the stretch from India Gate to Rashtrapati Bhawan. North Block now is to be repurposed as a museum, with key ministries that have operated out of it since 1931 when its construction finished – including Union Ministries of Home Affairs and Finance, and the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) – to be moved to a set of 'Kartavya Bhawan' buildings down the road. However, the work of shifting a government can't be hurried up. And in this case is being coordinated by a ministry – Housing and Urban Affairs, which is also spearheading the Central Vista redevelopment. Other ministries have appointed a nodal officer each for the exercise, which began around a month ago. Under their watch, files are being sorted into marked boxes, computers are being packed, and office supplies are going into cardboard containers. Artwork, including many, many photographs of Mahatma Gandhi, is being bubble-wrapped. The packing is being done by office staff, aided by a team of workers hired for the job. Once packed, the boxes are carried by workers down the stairs to a side entrance, and loaded onto tempos and government cars. These then cover the short distance to the new address. An official working in North Block says the move has been fairly smooth so far, particularly when it comes to files, given that nearly all, save the sensitive ones, are now on the government's E-Office portal. Officials in the know say the DoPT has almost entirely moved out. Jitendra Singh, the Minister of State for Prime Ministers' Office, Science and Technology and Personnel, is expected to shift soon, sources said. The Home Ministry has been allotted Kartavya Bhawan 3, and Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan and the Intelligence Bureau were some of the first ones to shift. According to sources, the shifting of some offices to KB3, as the building is referred to, began before its formal inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 6. The Finance Ministry, however, is yet to begin shifting. An officer in the middle of shifting says: 'I'm soaking in the last few days at this building. Many of my former colleagues who have worked here have been dropping by to see the offices one last time.' Like the South Block that stands across it, North Block, designed by British architect Herbert Baker in red sandstone, incorporating Indian features like jaali, chajja and chhattri, is as much a regal structure as a functional one, with plenty of light and ventilation. The new buildings, in comparison, look like any modern corporate office, with glass cabins for officers, open plan seating for most employees and access-control systems. Offices in the South Block, which houses the Prime Minister's Office and the Ministries of Defence and External Affairs, have not started moving out yet. Once both the buildings are emptied, they are to be restored and refurbished, before reopening as Yuge Yugeen National Museum. The government claims it will be the largest museum in the world. The 'charm' of North Block is what those who have worked here keep coming back to in conversations. G K Pillai, who spent seven years in North Block, first as Joint Secretary from 1996 to 2001 and then as Union Home Secretary from 2009 to 2011, recalls the sense of history that permeates the rooms. 'Stalwarts, including Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, worked here. Old-timers would tell us about important meetings that took place in the past,' Pillai, who is now retired, says. The former IAS officer adds that he personally believes that not all the ministries from North Block and South Block should have been shifted to the new quarters. 'Some of them could have stayed. The next generation of officers will lose that sense of history,' says Pillai. Durga Shanker Mishra, a 1984-batch IAS officer who retired as Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary last year, recalls his time in a ground-floor North Block office as Director (Personnel) in the Home Ministry in 2002-2004. 'I have good memories of that office. Though I was a director in Home, I had been given a room on the Finance Ministry's side. It was a well-sized room.' However, Mishra says: 'As is the case with old buildings, there were challenges. It needed more maintenance over the years.' As Secretary, Housing and Urban Affairs, Mishra was, in fact, part of the deliberations when the Central Vista project was planned and started. He says the new Central Secretariat buildings will change the way the government works, in terms of efficiency and coordination. In fact, while senior officers – who along with ministers had large airy offices – are understandably nostalgic about the high-ceilinged large rooms that they are leaving behind, not all in the North Block will regret the change. A majority of its employees worked in cramped spaces, with partitions created within dingy rooms to accommodate more officials over the years. Mezzanine levels were also added to create space, with the temporary additions doubling the number of rooms in both North and South Blocks over the years. A section official says: 'We are looking forward to the new building. I've heard that the canteen is very nice.' But true to form, the open-plan layout of the new Secretariat also has its share of detractors. On August 5, the Central Secretariat Service Forum, which represents around 13,000 employees, wrote a letter to the Prime Minister's Office expressing concerns about 'the lack of privacy and confidentiality' in the new arrangement.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
19 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Vikram Misri holds talks with Nepal's top leadership on boosting ties
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Sunday called on Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli and President Ramchandra Paudel and discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral ties across various sectors. Misri arrived here earlier in the day for a two-day visit to the Himalayan nation on the invitation of his Nepalese counterpart Amrit Bahadur Rai. During his meeting with Oli, which took place at the Prime Minister's Office at Singhdurbar, matters of mutual interest were discussed to further deepen bilateral relations. Misri reaffirmed the deep civilizational ties and strong IndiaNepal partnership, and discussed ways to further strengthen cooperation across various sectors, the Indian embassy here said in an X post. Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava was also present at the meeting. The foreign secretary separately called on President Paudel and conveyed greetings of the Indian leadership, apart from briefing Hon'ble President on the progress in bilateral ties, the embassy said in a separate post. He will meet Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba and also hold a bilateral meeting with Nepalese Foreign Secretary Rai later in the day. Misri will also meet top leaders of major political parties including Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda. His visit reflects the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between India and Nepal, and reaffirms the commitment to the #NeighbourhoodFirst policy, the Indian embassy said in a social media post. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs here said in a statement on Saturday that connectivity, development cooperation and other issues will be discussed during his visit. Misri will return home on Monday after wrapping up his visit. People familiar with the matter said the main focus of Misri's engagements in Kathmandu will be on preparing the ground for Prime Minister Oli's trip to New Delhi next month. Oli is likely to visit India around September 16, according to diplomatic sources. However, the official announcement is yet to be made. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Time of India
23 minutes ago
- Time of India
Nitin Gadkari promises single-digit logistics cost in India by 2026
Advt Join the community of 2M+ industry professionals. Subscribe to Newsletter to get latest insights & analysis in your inbox. Get updates on your preferred social platform Follow us for the latest news, insider access to events and more. Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari , on Sunday affirmed that India's logistics cost will come down to single-digit by the end of logistics cost of India is 14-16 per cent, China's is 8 per cent, and Europe and America have 12 per cent each, Gadkari said, addressing the event in the national capital that marked the inauguration of two major National Highway projects by Prime Minister Narendra Modi."I want to assure the Prime Minister and all of you that before the end of 2026, the logistics cost of our country will come in the single digits, which will be very important for our exports. We will become even more competitive," the Minister said. Prime Minister Modi today inaugurated two major National Highway projects worth a combined cost of nearly ₹11,000 projects -- the Delhi section of the Dwarka Expressway and the Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II) -- have been developed under the Government's comprehensive plan to decongest the capital, with the objective of greatly improving connectivity, cutting travel time, and reducing traffic in Delhi and its surrounding 10.1 km long Delhi section of Dwarka Expressway has been developed at a cost of around Rs. 5,360 crore. The section will also provide Multi-modal connectivity to Yashobhoomi, DMRC Blue line and Orange line, the upcoming Bijwasan railway station and the Dwarka cluster Bus Depot. This section comprises:The Prime Minister earlier inaugurated the 19 km long Haryana section of the Dwarka Expressway in March Minister also inaugurated the Alipur to Dichaon Kalan stretch of Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II) along with new links to Bahadurgarh and Sonipat, built at a cost of around ₹5,580 will ease traffic on Delhi's Inner and Outer Ring Roads and busy points like Mukarba Chowk, Dhaula Kuan, and NH-09. The new spurs will provide direct access to Bahadurgarh and Sonipat, enhance industrial connectivity, reduce city traffic, and expedite goods movement in the NCR.... With both these projects, the people of Delhi NCR will get great relief from traffic jams. If I say that the problem of 50 per cent traffic jam in Delhi will be reduced due to these highways, I think it will not be surprising," Union Minister Gadkari said.
