CHENNAI: For the welfare of North Chennai and its residents, the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) has taken measures to utilize unused land parcels belonging to the Public Works Department (PWD) and Water Resources Department (WRD), as part of the Vada Chennai Valarchi Thittam. 

Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department minister PK Sekarbabu, who is also the chairman of the CMDA, inspected six acres of land on Water Basin Street near Walltax Road, where there is a PWD depot, along with Chennai Mayor R Priya, housing and urban development department secretary Kakarla Usha, and CMDA member secretary Anshul Mishra, on Monday.

The minister also inspected a land parcel near Stanley Medical College Hospital belonging to the WRD. 

"Inspection was conducted to utilize the unused land parcels to implement projects beneficial to the public. Moreover, we inspected the construction of a community hall, school building, and dialysis center," he said after the inspection.

A total of 208 projects have been proposed under the Vada Chennai Valarchi Thittam, of which 108 are currently in progress, Sekarbabu added. 

"Measures are taken by concerned departments to carry out the remaining 100 projects. Of the total cost, the CMDA is implementing projects worth Rs 685 crore directly while other departments will work on projects worth Rs 1,619 crore. Whenever Chief Minister MK Stalin holds power, North Chennai gets an uplift. Nearly 10 flyovers were constructed when he was the Mayor of Chennai," the minister said.