Foundation stone for Government medical college in Orathur laid

Nagapattinam: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palanisami on Saturday laid the foundation stone for a new medical college to come up at Orathur here at a cost of Rs 365 crore and announced that his government was contemplating bifurcation of Nagapattinam district. Laying the foundation stone, the Chief Minister said the new medical college was one among the 11 new colleges sanctioned for the state and would be set up over 24 acres of land at Orathur.

The government was committed to setting up one medical college each in all districts of the state, he added Noting that Tamil Nadu was at the forefront of healthcare facilities for poor and downtrodden, he said, "We have been at the forefront of organ transplantation surgeries in the country continuously for the past five years." The state government had achieved a great deal in offering treatment to cancer patients, particularly those belonging to poor families across the state, he said.

"Four new cancer speciality centres have been set up in four medical colleges in the state. During the past eight years, 254 new primary health centres have been set up in the rural areas," he pointed out. Making new announcements for Nagapattinam district, the Chief Minister said a new fishing harbour would be set up at Arucottuthurai in Nagapattinam at an outlay of Rs 150 crore. A food processing park would be established in 250 acres of land at Vedaranyam and the hospitals at Mayiladuthurai and Sirkazhi would be upgraded with more facilities. An agriculture research centre would also be set up at Vedaranyam, he said.

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Referring to the long pending demand of the people of Mayiladuthurai sub-division, the Chief Minister announced that the government was considering bifurcation of Nagapattinam into two districts with Mayiladuthurai as the headquarters of the new district. The Chief Minister slammed the Leader of Opposition in the assembly M K Stalin saying that he was making a false propaganda about the performance of the government.

Listing out the achievements of his government, the Chief Minister said the DMK leader was telling "blatant" lies. Palanisami said the state government was pressing the Centre to give shape to the project to linkGodavari-Krishna- Pennar-Cauvery, which would prevent about 1200 tmcft of water from draining into the sea from Polavaram in Godavari. "The project could dramatically satisfy the irrigation needs of Tamil Nadu farmers and we are committed to taking all steps to make the dream project a reality. Tamil Nadu ministers have met Union Ministers and the Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in this regard," he said. Tamil Nadu Health Minister Vijayabhaskar, Handloom Minister OS Manian and other ministers participated.