COIMBATORE: “Tamil Nadu will be the only State where every village will have a library and a sports facility by the end of the financial year 2010-11. Already more than 10,000 have been set up. Another 2,500 are to come up,” K. Ashok Vardhan Shetty, Principal Secretary to the Government, Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Government of Tamil Nadu, said here on Friday.

Speaking to presspersons on the sidelines of a seminar at the Bharathiar University, he pointed out that the road works had already been completed.

Also, burial grounds and a modern crematorium had been put in place.

Elaborating on the Kalaignar Housing Scheme, Mr. Shetty said the Rs. 1,800 crore scheme would enable construction of 21 lakh concrete houses for rural hut dwellers in six years. “The Indira Awaas Yojana scheme will enable construction of six lakh houses. The Kalaignar scheme will act like an add-on project so that a total of 27 lakh houses will come up.”

The census-taking for the number of huts in each village would take off by March end and the actual construction would begin in June, Mr. Shetty said.

“The census will also include a photograph of the family residing in a particular hut in order to ensure the benefits reached the correct beneficiary”.

Terming the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) a success, he said it would enable the 80 lakh landless labourers in the State to earn a living.

The minimum wages would also be increased from Rs. 80 to Rs. 100.

Agreeing that there was a demand for more wages, he said that at the same time there was apprehension that the enhanced wages may affect farming.

“The scheme holiday during sowing and harvest seasons suggested to the Central Government, did not work out because the seasons varied with the States,” Mr. Shetty added.

Courtesy - Hindu