Kanyakumari: Promising to upgrade Nagercoil municipality in Kanyakumari district into a city corporation, Chief Minister, Mr Edappadi K. Palaniswami also announced a rope car facility to Vivekananda rock memorial near here to boost tourism in Kanyakumari.
Speaking at the MGR centenary celebrations at Nagercoil on Saturday, he said that the state government has implemented several schemes for the development of tourism in Kanyakumari district, which was visited by around 75 lakh tourists from across the country and abroad every year.
“Among these only 22 lakh tourists are able to visit the Vivekananda rock and Thiruvalluvar memorial annually,” said Palaniswami, adding, the AIADMK government in a bid to enhance the number of visitors to Vivekananda memorial rock, planned to buy two more boats at the cost of Rs 6 crore. It will also construct two more boat jetties at an estimated cost of Rs 20 crore.
Mr Palaniswami also disclosed that his government planned to install a rope car facility to Vivekananda rock memorial from the shore and a marine bridge connecting Vivekananda rock and Thiruvalluvar rock. “These projects are planned to be implemented through public private participation at Rs 120 crore and would help to increase the tourist flow to Kanyakumari district,” CM added.
Recalling the AIADMK government’s role during the Ockhi cyclone and the flood situation that followed, Mr. Palaniswami said that the government has ensured job to the kin of all 136 fishermen who died in the ockhi tragedy.
The affected farmers in the district due to the cyclone too were compensated to the tune of Rs 36 crore by the state government, he reminded the people, adding a new fishing harbor at Colachel would come up. The Chinnamuttom fishing harbor would also be developed at the cost of '96.20 crore.
The Chief Minister also pointed that the Thengaipattinam fishing harbor under construction would be commissioned within this year. “These fishing harbor projects in the district will no doubt encourage fishing industry in the region,” hoped Mr. Palaniswami.
Stating that works are on to upgrade the Nagercoil municipality in as the 13th city corporation in the state, he said that heeding the demands of the people two more new taluks-Killiyoor taluk and Thiruvattar taluk would be created soon.
Announcing various schemes to enhance the medical facility at the Asaripallam Government Medical college hospital, he assured to increase the total number of seats for MBBS course at the government medical college at Nagercoil to 150 from the present 100 seats from the next academic year onwards.
Inaugurating 28 projects completed at the total cost of Rs 13.07 crore and laying the foundation stone for new projects worth Rs 31.34 crore in the district, he said as former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa wished, his government has been striving to make Tamil Nadu ‘Numero Uno’ state.
