COIMBATORE: Chief Minister MK Stalin wrapped up his two-day visit to Coimbatore on Wednesday by announcing a slew of projects including the setting up of a jewellery park for Rs 126 crore.

“The jewel park, to be established with all facilities including a NABL accredited lab in Coimbatore, a hub for jewel making, will provide direct employment to 2000 persons and indirect employment to 1,500,” he said, after laying the foundation stone for Thanthai Periyar Library and Science Centre in Coimbatore.

He also announced that a new IT park will be built in an area of 17.7 acres near Tidel Park in ELCOSEZ. Similar to the Ramanujan IT City in Chennai, the new IT Park, to be developed in an area of three million sq ft, will employ 36,000 youth. “It will be a milestone in the growth of Coimbatore’s economy,” he said.

The Avinashi Road flyover will be extended for a distance of five kilometres from Chinniyampalayam to Neelambur for Rs 600 crore. Modern protective fences will be established for a distance of 10 km in Thondamuthur area for Rs 7 crore to prevent life loss due to human-animal conflicts and crop damages.

The Chief Minister also said a combined drinking water project for Rs 26 crore to benefit 38 villages in Kottur, Vettaikaranpudur, Udaiyakulam Town Panchayats and Anaimalai Panchayat Union will be developed. Also, another combined drinking water project for Rs 51 crore will be developed to provide water to 295 villages in Pollachi North, Pollachi South, and Kinathukadavu Panchayat unions. Stalin also announced that a special scheme would be implemented to develop better roads for Rs 200 crore.