CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday (March 3) inaugurated 11 'Mudhalvar Padaippagam' centres with modern libraries built at a combined cost of Rs 33.85 crore by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) and the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), as part of the state's effort to expand public reading and study infrastructure in the city's neighbourhoods.
The Chief Minister inaugurated the centre built in Ashok Nagar. Sprawling across 7,874 sq ft, the air-conditioned facility was constructed by the CMDA at a cost of Rs 12.74 crore. The centre features a children's library section, a general reading hall, a computer room, a competitive exam and research section, and a meeting hall, among other amenities.
Under the North Chennai Development Plan, nine centres built by the CMDA at Otteri, Jamalia, Pulianthope, Pattalam, RK Nagar, Choolai, Erukkancheri, Royapuram and Raja Annamalaipuram for Rs 16.87 crore and one Chennai Corporation-built centre in Kondithope, under the Harbour constituency, were opened for public use. The Kondithope facility was built at a cost of Rs 4.24 crore.
Following the success of the first 'Mudhalvar Padaippagam' centre in Kolathur, work on 30 more centres has been taken up under CMDA. The GCC has initiated eight more centres, which are under various stages of implementation.
In addition, Chief Minister Stalin inaugurated multiple civic projects executed by the GCC at a total cost of Rs 10.96 crore in the Thiru Vi Ka Nagar zone (zone 6). These include an indoor stadium built at Rs 2.97 crore in Logo Scheme 1st Street, a new block for a GCC middle school at Kapilar Street constructed at Rs 7.64 crore, and Dr Ambedkar Cooperative Fair Price Shops on Raja Street built at Rs 34.70 lakh.
The indoor stadium, spread over 22,560 sq ft, has facilities for boxing, basketball and pickleball, along with walking tracks, open-air gym equipment and basic amenities. The CM interacted with the youth using the indoor stadium during the inauguration.