Hogenakkal project to be completed in time: Minister

Chennai, Aug 8 (UNI) The controversial Hogenakkal Drinking water project will be completed as scheduled, Tamil Nadu PWD Minister Duraimurugan reiterated today.

Talking to newspersons here, after a meeting in which German architects made a power-point presentation on the new Secretariat Complex being built by the Tamil Nadu Government, he said the State Government was keen on implementing the project, as it would benefit the people living in Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri Districts.

On Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa's opposition to the project, Mr Duraimurugan shot back ''we are not here to make a sensational statement on the project everyday. I can assure that the project will take off as planned''.

It may be recalled that Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, too, had recently stated that the project would be completed as per the drawn-up schedule.

The Rs 1330 crore project to be taken up with Japanese funding, was temporarily put on hold by the Tamil Nadu Government to prevent escalation of violence in both the States after Karnataka objected to it.

The project was aimed at mitigating the drinking water requirements of the people of the two districts, where the ground water contained high presence of fluoride content.

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