30 new elementary schools to be opened in state: Sengottaiyan

“We are planning to open elementary schools in rural and hilly areas to benefit the students,” the minister said. The minister also announced that computers worth Rs 6.71 crore would be provided to 486 government middle schools during 2017-18 and each institution would get three computers and the initiative was expected to benefit around 40,000 students. 

“The government will fill 4,084 vacant post-graduate teaching posts, including 748 to handle computer subject,” Sengottaiyan said.  The government would also regularize the 17,000 temporary posts in teaching and non-teaching departments, he added. 

To encourage the students, the government would identify100 students from government and aided schools for sending them on education tours abroad at a cost of Rs 3 crore, he said. 

“All board examination-related activities like applying, receiving hall tickets and registering marks will be computerised,” he said.

Sengottaiyan, who also holds the portfolio of Youth Welfare and Sports Development, said, “Maintenance works will be undertaken in Jawaharlal Nehru indoor and Mayor Radhakrishnan stadia at a cost of Rs 887.50 lakh and LED lights will also be installed,” he said. 

Meanwhile, higher education minister K P Anbalagan announced some schemes for graduate students. “A total of Rs 6,000 will be provided to post-graduate students of government engineering colleges. Further, production of e-learning video modules for the diploma students of government polytechnic colleges is on,” the minister said. 

Anbalagan announced the introduction of new PG courses in government engineering college in Bargur at Krishnagiri district. He further elaborated on the introduction of new courses in university constituent arts and science colleges. 

“During the academic year 2017-18, a total of 89 new syllabi, including 47 post-graduate courses, will be introduced at a cost of Rs 2.82 crore,” the minister said. He also assured that the construction of buildings and provision of other facilities for PG extension centre of Tiruvalluvar University would be taken up soon.

Manamadurai MLA S Mariappan Kennady singing paeans to the ruling party’s deputy general secretary TTV Dinakaran, called him a Dravidian leader. The MLAs from both the factions of the party kept quite over it in the House on Thursday.  While opening his speech, Mariappan offered tributes to late chief minister J Jayalalithaa and then heaped praises on the party general secretary VK Sasikala before referring to Dinakaran.  He called him as ‘a ladder and a coracle’ (Yeniyaai .. Thoniyaai –     with alliteration) besides anointing him as Dravidian leader to the loudest tap of treasury benches by Dinakaran supporters. Deputy Leader of Opposition and veteran DMK leader Durai Murugan, in his sarcasm, suggested the Ministers to clap for the mention of Dinakaran’s name. However, none of the Ministers raised any objection to the mention of Dinakaran.

Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisamy on Thursday disclosed that the state has issued government orders (GOs) for 1,039 schemes of 1,054 announcements made in the House by late chief minister J Jayalalithaa, of which 577 schemes had been completed and 482 schemes are under way, whereas GOs to 15 schemes are yet to be issued.

He was replying to the demand of Leader of Opposition MK Stalin for a whitepaper report on the host of announcements made under Rule 110 by Jayalalithaa. Similarly, the former AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa had made 879 announcements of which GOs had been issued for 872. Seven other announcements were embroiled in litigations and were under the consideration of the Centre in her two consecutive terms as chief Minister between 2011 and 2016. 

Stalin demanded a detailed status report of all the projects announced by her, to which the CM retorted by saying that everything was available in the House records. “Stalin, or any member of the House is welcome to point out any specific scheme which is not implemented, and the same would be implemented,” Palanisamy said. 

DMK MLA K Ponmudi, in his reply to the CM, said that the state had not done anything other than passing GOs. He cited an instance of a GO being passed by the state for a scheme in Education department in 2012 and the tenders for the same were rolled out now, nearly after five years.