TN to set up new airports in Salem, Vellore

Chennai, Jan 23 (UNI) The Tamil Nadu Government will establish new airports at Vellore and Salem and has urged the Centre to accord utmost riority for modernisation of airports in the State, Governor S S Barnala told the State Assembly today.

Delivering his customary address to the House, Mr Barnala said since the air traffic had witnessed a phenomenal growth in the state, the government would expand and modernise the existing airports at Chennai, Coimbatore, Tiruchirapalli, Madurai and Tuticorin.

The government would also construct new airports at Vellore and Salem to meet the growing demand, he said and added that the state would continue to urge the Centre to accord high priority for this.

The government would also urge the Union Planning Commission to approve doubling of Villuppuram-Dindigul rail segment to operate more trains for industrial development of Southern districts, the state governor said.

Observing that Chennai-Madurai rail link was a vital train connectivity for the people of southern districts, he said more trains could be operated only by doubling the Villuppuram-Dindigul segment in the interests of the people.

Mr Barnala further said the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, being implemented in ten districts of the State, would be launched in all districts from the next financial year, in pursuance to the Centre's decision to extend it across the country.

The social audit team, which had studied its implementation in all states, had concluded that it was admirably implemented in Tamil Nadu.

It also commended the fact that workers were getting a daily wage of Rs 80 and unlike in any other state, 82 per cent of the beneficiaries of the scheme in Tamil Nadu were women.

In this content, Mr Barnala hoped that the UPA Governemnt led by Manmohan Singh under the able guidance of AICC President Sonia Gandhi would enact a legislation providing 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and State Legislatures.

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