PM inaugurates & lays Foundation Stone for various projects in Puducherry & Coimbatore

On February 25, 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Inaugurated & Laid Foundation Stone for various projects in Puducherry & Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu).

PM’s Visit to Pondicherry

PM Narendra Modi visited Pondicherry on February 25. During the visit he inaugurated & laid the foundation stone for various projects in the Union Territory.

Projects for which Foundation Stone was laid

4 Laning of NH45-A

• 4 laning of NH45-A – 56 kms Sattanathapuram-Nagapattinam section of Villupuram to Nagapattinam project which covers Karaikal District
• The estimated cost for this project is INR 2426 crores.

Medical College Building at Karaikal New Campus

• Foundation Stone for   Medical College Building at Karaikal New Campus – Phase I, Karaikal District (JIPMER)
• The Estimated cost of the project is INR 491 Crore.

Minor Port at Puducherry under Sagarmala Scheme

• He laid the foundation stone for development of Minor Port (Puducherry Port Development) at Puducherry under Sagarmala Scheme. It is estimated to be built at INR 44 crore.
• The port will provide connectivity to Chennai & will facilitate cargo movement for industries in Puducherry.
• It will ease the burden on Chennai Port.

What is Sagarmala Schmeme?

• Sagarmala Programme is an initiative by the government of India to enhance the performance of the country’s logistics sector. The programme envisages unlocking the potential of waterways and the coastline to minimize infrastructural investments required to meet these targets.

Synthetic Athletic Track at Indira Gandhi Sport Complex

• He laid the foundation stone for 400 metres Synthetic Athletic Track at Indira Gandhi Sports Complex, Puducherry.
• The new Synthetic Athletic Track is being constructed as part of Khelo India Scheme at a cost of INR 7 Crore.

Inaugurated Projects 

Blood Centre at JIPMER

• PM Modi inaugurated the Blood Centre at Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research (JIPMER), Puducherry.
• It will function as a research laboratory & Training Centre for short-term & continuous blood bank personnel training in all aspects of transfusion.
• It has been constructed at a cost of INR 28 Crore.

100 Bed Girls’ Hostel at Lawspet

• Inauguration of 100 bed girls’ hostel at Lawspet, Puducherry.
• The hostel has been constructed for female athletes at a cost of INR 12 Crore under the control of Sports Authority of India (SAI).
• It would accommodate hockey, volleyball, weightlifting kabaddi & handball players who would be trained under SAI coaches.

Reconstructed Heritage Marie Building

• He inaugurated the reconstructed Heritage Marie Building, which was originally built by the French.
• It has now been rebuilt with the same building architecture at a cost INR 15 Crore.

PM’s Visit to Coimbatore, TN

During his visit to Coimbatore, PM Inaugurated & laid the foundation stone for multiple infrastructure projects in Coimbatore worth INR 12400 Crores.

Inaugurated Projects

1000 MW Neyveli New Thermal Power Project

He inaugurated the Neyveli New Thermal Power Project (lignite based power plant) which has a power generation capacity of 1000 MegaWatts (MW).

• It has 2 units of 500 MW capacity each.
• It has been built at a cost INR 8000 crore and will use lignite as fuel from the existing mines of Neyveli and has sufficient lignite reserves for meeting the lifetime requirement of the project.
• The plant has been designed in such a way that it can utilize 100% Ash for its operations
• The power generated will benefit Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana & Puducherry. Tamil Nadu would enjoy the maximum benefit as it will utilize 65% of the total power generated.

709 MW Solar Power Project of NLCIL 

• He inaugurated the 709 MW Solar Power Project of NLCIL (formerly known as Neyveli Lignite Corporation Limited)
• The plant has been constructed over an area of 2670 acres of land across the districts of Tirunelveli, Tuticorin, Ramanathapuram & Virudhunagar.
• It has been set up at a cost of INR 3000 Crore.

8-Laning of Korampallam Bridge & Rail Over Bridge (ROB) at V.O.Chidambaranar Port

• He inaugurated the 8-Laning of Korampallam Bridge & Rail Over Bridge (ROB) at V.O. Chidambaranar Port (Tuticorin), which is one of the Major Ports in India.
• The expansion of the bridges will ease the traffic congestion in the port area.
• At present, 76% of the cargo is transported using the Korampallam bridge & around 3000 heavy loaded cargo trucks move daily over this bridge.
• It has been constructed at a cost INR 42 Crore with funding support under the Sagarmala programme.

Tenements built under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) Scheme

• PM Modi inaugurated the Tenements (buildings with multiple dwellings) built under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) Scheme.
• They have been built by the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board at a cost of INR 330 Crore.
• The Tenements have been built at Veerapandi, Tiruppur, Thirukumaran Nagar, Tiruppur, Rajakkur, Madurai & Irungalur, Trichy.
• The tenements will be allotted to urban poor/slum dwellers. The tenements have facilities like multipurpose hall, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom & toilet, Sewage treatment plant and social amenities like ration shop, anganwadi centre, library & shops.

About Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) Mission:

• Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) Mission launched on 25th June 2015 which intends to provide housing for all in urban areas by year 2022.
• As per PMAY(U) guidelines, the size of a house for Economically Weaker Section (EWS) could be upto 30 sq. mt. carpet area, however States/UTs have the flexibility to enhance the size of houses in consultation and approval of the Ministry.

Funds Allocated in Union Budget 2021-22:

• Rs 27,500 crore was allocated for Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) in Union Budget 2021-22.

Projects for which Foundation Stone was laid

Solar Power Plant at V.O. Chidambaranar Port

• He laid foundation stone for design, supply, installation & commissioning of 5 MW grid connected ground based solar power plant at V.O. Chidambaranar Port.
• The estimated cost of this project is INR 20 Crore.
• The solar power plant will generate over 80 Lakh units (KWH) per annum and will meet 56% of total energy consumption of the Port. It will help in reduction of carbon footprint of port operations.

Extension, Renovation & Modernisation of Lower Bhavani Project System

• He laid the foundation stone for extension, renovation & modernisation of Lower Bhavani Project system. The Bhavanisagar dam & canal systems were completed in 1955.
• The Lower Bhavani System comprises Lower Bhavani Project Canal System, Arankankottai & Thadapalli Channels, & Kalingarayan Channel.
• The Canal System irrigates around 2 Lakh acres of Land in Erode, Tirupur & Karur districts.
• The renovation works are being taken up at a cost of INR 934 Crore under NABARD Infrastructure Development Assistance.
• Objective – To rehabilitate existing irrigation structure & increase the efficiency of the canals.

Development of ICCC in 9 Smart Cities

• He laid the foundation stone for development of Integrated Command and Control Centers (ICCC) in 9 smart cities of TN – Coimbatore, Madurai, Salem, Thanjavur, Vellore, Tiruchirappalli, Tiruppur, Tirunelveli & Thoothukudi.
• It will be developed at a cost of INR 107 Crore.
• Objective – to act as a 24X7 support system, provide smart solutions, integration of essential government services & enable data based decision making.

About Tamil Nadu:
Hills – Javadhu, Mahendragiri, Kolli Hills
Tribes – Irula, Kurumbar, Kotas

About Puducherry:

Governor– Telangana Governor Tamilsai Soundararajan has been given additional charge after Kiran Bedi removed as Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry