Budget Speech 2002 - 2003 (Contd...)

ECOLOGICAL SECURITY

72.             Environment protection is the key to ensuring a healthy life for the people. Under the Tamil Nadu Afforestation Project, it has been proposed to bring 108 villages under joint forest management in 2002-2003, wherein plantation works in 86240 acres of degraded reserve forest areas will be taken up at an estimated cost of Rs.82.99 crores.   

73.             The Government has formulated the ‘Tamil Nadu Natural Resources Management Project’, which aims at restoring green cover to 6.17 lakh acres of land. This project, to be implemented at a cost of Rs.779 crores, has been sent to the Government of India for posing it before international financial institutions for funding.

74.             Only 11 percent of our rural households have proper sanitation facilities and this is even below the 15 percent national average. Keeping this in mind, this Government has been implementing a scheme for construction of integrated sanitary complexes for women in rural and urban areas. During 2002-2003, a total of Rs.183 crores will be spent towards this project.  The Government will also encourage private participation in improving sanitation facilities, especially in the urban areas.

ENERGY SECURITY

75.             Availability of adequate and uninterrupted power supply constitutes a major component of energy security and has an important impact on the overall development of the State’s economy. The proposed outlay for the power sector in Tamil Nadu during the Tenth Plan Period is likely to be Rs.7000 crores. For the next financial year, the plan outlay has been fixed at Rs.1209 crores.

76.             In order to augment the availability of power in the State, a 100 MW gas-based State sector power project is likely to be commissioned in Valuthur, Ramanathapuram District, in 2002-2003. Another 250 MW lignite based power project in the private sector is expected to be commissioned by November 2002. I am happy to inform this august House that the Nuclear Power Corporation will be setting up a nuclear power plant at Kudankulam with a capacity of 2000 MW.

77.             Apart from enhancing the generating capacity of thermal power projects in Tamil Nadu, the Government will focus on increasing the availability of power from non-conventional energy sources like solar energy, wind energy, bio-energy etc., through appropriate policy interventions.

INFRASTRUCTURE FOR DEVELOPMENT

78.             Availability of adequate and quality infrastructure is a prerequisite for rapid industrial development, which in turn leads to creation of gainful employment for the people. The Government will give a special emphasis to infrastructure development in Tamil Nadu during 2002-2003 through public-private participation.

79.             We have already announced our intention to provide total connectivity in the rural areas by providing all-weather roads in habitations with population above 500 before 2004. A massive programme to achieve the aforesaid objective has been taken up and Rs.245.50 crores has been earmarked for this purpose during 2002-2003.

80.             The State Government is very concerned about the increasing strain on the urban transport infrastructure, especially in Chennai. The work on the Mass Rapid Transport System Phase-II from Thirumylai to Velachery at an estimated cost of Rs.689 crores is likely to be completed by December 2002. The Government of India has been addressed for its in-principle consent for extending the MRTS Phase-II up to St. Thomas Mount to complete the rail loop with the Chennai Beach-Tambaram suburban line under Phase III.

81.             Given the growing number of over-aged buses in the fleet of State Transport Undertakings, the Government has decided to purchase 2275 buses at a cost of Rs.227.50 crores in 2002-2003.

82.             I am happy to announce that the Tamil Nadu Road Development Company Ltd. (TNRDC), a 50:50 joint venture between TIDCO and IL&FS, has recently completed upgrading the stretch from Chennai to Pondicherry in the East Coast Road to world-class standards within the stipulated cost and time.   The stretch of East Coast Road between Tiruvanmiyur and Sholinganallur from km 11/8 to km 22/3 has been taken up for four- laning and the work will be completed in 18 months.

83.             A proposal to develop Colachel port as a Container Transhipment Port has been under consideration for a long time. Following the recent discussions that the Honourable Chief Minister had with the Honourable Minister for Works, Government of Malaysia, I am happy to inform that the Government has decided to implement the project on a Government-to-Government basis in stages. The first phase would cost Rs.2772 crores and the details are being worked out.

84.             The Government has stepped up its efforts to re-design the tourism industry in Tamil Nadu to generate high levels of socio-economic output, especially employment. Steps are being taken to convene International and National Tourism Conventions to establish Chennai as a ‘tourist hub and must visit-must stay’ destination in southern India. Memorandum of Understanding has also been signed with Government Tourism Undertakings in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh for tourist exchange packages and mutual marketing and publicity.  The allocation for the tourism sector has been increased to Rs.25 crores for the year 2002-2003.