CM Stalin inaugurates Rs 571.92 crore works of MAWS dept

CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday inaugurated 49 completed works worth Rs 571.92 crore and laid the foundation stone for 16 new projects of the state Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) department.

The projects virtually inaugurated by Chief Minister MK Stalin from the state secretariat included 11 projects worth Rs 30.60 crore and flagged off 50 new vehicles costing Rs 19.44 crore in the Greater Chennai Corporation.

The GCC projects comprised new school buildings, toilet facilities and even a smokeless crematorium.

He also laid the foundation stone for nine new development projects worth Rs 59.60 crore in the GCC and inaugurated the Pallikaranai comprehensive underground drainage scheme, and Mugalivakkam comprehensive underground drainage scheme and a similar scheme for Madipakkam at an estimated cost of Rs 188.55 crore.

Additionally, the Chief Minister dedicated to public use 19 completed projects worth Rs 102.59 crore covering Cuddalore Corporation, Kumbakonam Corporation, Pudukottai Corporation, Salem Corporation and Tirupur corporation, besides Gudiyatham, Villupuram, Vaniyambadi and Oddanchatthiram municipalities. Another Rs 77.07 crore worth 14 completed projects of town panchayats were also among the one's inaugurated by the CM who also threw open two combined drinking water projects developed by the municipal administration and water supply department at Rs 60.58 crore.

New scheme for farmers

The Chief Minister also launched a new Ulavarai thedi Velanmai – Ulavar nalathurai (Agriculture and Farmers Welfare department in pursuit of farmers) scheme, which seeks to deliver agriculture diversification services at the villages of the farmers.

The scheme, which was announced in the 2025-26 agriculture budget, would be implemented in 17,116 villages in the state. The scheme to be executed by coordinating agriculture, fisheries and animal husbandry departments in association with agriculture scientists would meet the farmers, identify their requirements and deliver schemes and detail the latest technologies in agriculture to them.

Stalin also distributed Rs 50,000 each cash prize and citation to nine male and female students of Lankan Tamil rehabilitation camps who scored big in class X, XI and XII public exams. The Chief Minister also threw open Rs 499.08 crore projects of the state highways department, including upgraded Mallaiyakarai – Rasipuram – Tiruchengode – Erode four-lane road, road over bridge across railway track at Palanganatham in Madurai and resettlement for scheduled tribes at Melpakkam in Ranipet.

Stone laid for Kalaignar International Convention Centre

Chief Minister Stalin also laid the foundation stone for the Kalaignar International Convention Centre to be developed at Muttukaadu in Chengalpattu district near here for Rs 525 crore. The convention centre measuring 5,12,8000 sq ft and constructed on 37.99 acres would also consist of an exhibition hall measuring 91,024 sq ft with capacity to seat 10,000 persons. A conference hall measuring 50,633 sq ft and capable of seating 5,000 persons and an auditorium (cultural hall) with capacity to seat 1,500 persons would be developed in the fully air-conditioned international convention hall, which would have a parking facility that can accommodate 1,638 cars and 1,700 bikes.