CHENNAI: Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Information and Broadcasting L Murugan on Saturday urged the TVK-led Tamil Nadu government to facilitate Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas in every district and asked it to reconsider the proposed Secretariat-cum-Assembly complex at Pattinapakkam.

Speaking to reporters here, Murugan said that besides enabling children to study in their mother tongue and learn other Indian languages, the Navodaya schools would provide quality education to poor and disadvantaged students.

"Navodaya schools should be brought to all districts of Tamil Nadu. They will enable poor and disadvantaged students to receive quality education. Preventing this would amount to denying them their rights," he said.

On the proposed Secretariat complex, Murugan said the government should shift the project from Pattinapakkam, where fishermen depend on the sea.

"Fishermen's livelihood is entirely dependent on the sea. I know the difficulties they face. Chief Minister Vijay played a fisherman in the film 'Sura'. Merely acting as a fisherman is not enough. He should understand the genuine pain of fishermen," he said.

Earlier, at the 20th Rozgar Mela in Chennai, Murugan handed over appointment letters to 285 newly recruited candidates. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nationwide event through video conference, with more than 51,000 recruits receiving appointment letters at 45 locations. The latest edition takes the cumulative number of appointment letters issued through Rozgar Melas to about 12.75 lakh.

Addressing the gathering, Murugan said young government recruits would have a key role in achieving the goal of a developed India by 2047. He stressed integrity, accountability, compassion, continuous learning and adopting new technologies.

He said India's startup ecosystem has grown from around 400 companies in 2014 to more than 2.5 lakh, while youth participation had expanded in space and nuclear technology. He also highlighted growing participation of women in various fields.