The Tamil Nadu government announced a range of welfare programs under the Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) Department on July 21. The announcement included details about the ‘AMRUT 2.0’ initiative, which has a budget of ₹2,391.72 crore earmarked for various road projects and urban development efforts.
In an official release, the government stated that 515 road works and 11 bridge projects have been completed over the last three years since 2021 under the National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (NABARD) scheme, totaling ₹602 crore in expenditure.
“Under the Tamil Nadu Urban Road Infrastructure Programme, a total of 1,178 road projects spanning 1,583 km have been undertaken at a cost of ₹812.21 crore. Additionally, under the ‘Nagarpura Salai Mempattu Thittam,’ roads covering 137.57 km have been developed at a cost of ₹10.46 crore,” the release noted.
Furthermore, a total of 668 works have been initiated with funding from the Operation and Maintenance Deficit Grant Fund, amounting to ₹210.99 crore. This fund allocation is divided among municipal corporations (31%), municipalities (36%), and town panchayats (33%). It is utilized for the operation and maintenance of essential services such as drinking water supply, underground sewers, and roads.
“More than 3,000 works have been initiated at a total cost of ₹466.55 crore using the 15th Finance Commission grants,” the government indicated. Under the 15th Finance Commission—National Health Mission grant scheme—141 projects have been completed at a cost of ₹76.45 crore.
The government reported that under the ‘Kalaignar Nagarpura Mempattu Thittam,’ 1,509 initiatives have been pursued at an investment of ₹1,112 crore over the past three years. Under the ‘Namakku Naame’ scheme, 1,199 projects have focused on road laying, waterbody development, and park establishment.
Additionally, 192 works were completed in 77 town panchayats, costing ₹63.50 crore, under the Tamil Nadu Urban Employment Scheme. The Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT 2.0) has undertaken projects like drinking water facilities, park development, and waterbody improvements at a total investment of ₹2,391.72 crore.
To further enhance municipal environments, the Directorate of Town Panchayats reported that 4,09,413 saplings have been planted across 490 town panchayats, and over 2.66 lakh streetlights in 439 town panchayats have been upgraded to LED technology. Under the Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0, 41,858 individual household toilets were constructed, costing ₹331.84 crore, alongside the construction of community toilets in 190 locations.
The government has also initiated the Iyothee Thass Pandithar Habitation Development Scheme to establish basic amenities in Adi Dravidar habitations in town panchayat areas across 37 districts, with a total funding of ₹51.81 crore.
The news was published on July 21, 2024, at 3:50 PM IST.
