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Madurai MP Su. Venkatesan during the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) demanded that the Union government schemes like Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) should be restructured to allow the funds allocated for the scheme for remodelling existing roads in developed States like Tamil Nadu. Speaking at the meeting held here on Friday, he pointed out that in places like Madurai district there was no need for new roads and the scheme has no value. “The Union Government allocates thousands of crores for the construction of new roads in villages. However, such villages are very few in Tamil Nadu. There is not even one such village in Madurai District. Therefore, the complete benefits of this scheme are primarily utilised by North Indian States like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan. The conditions of the scheme prevent Southern States and developed States like Tamil Nadu from utilising its benefits,” he noted. Speaking on other development projects and need for further development, he said, the Government Rajaji Hospital was overcrowded. “We are actively trying to implement the decision to utilise the site of the former Ramanathapuram District Collectorate for public health purpose to provide addition space for the GRH,” he added. “The people in Madurai are facing severe traffic congestion and hardship due to the ongoing flyover construction works. Hence, we have urged the authorities to accelerate the flyover works,” he said. He added that they have also urged the authorities to remove the soil on the Tirupparakankundram South side which was dumped during the construction of the bridge. As farmers pointed out that there was a delay in distributing agricultural seeds, Mr. Venkatesan said that they have settled the issue and assured that the seeds would be distributed in a timely manner before the start of the monsoon. He informed during the meeting that the district administration had acceded to their request to shift the Madurai branch of the Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO), an Union government enterprise that provides equipment for the differently abled, functioning at Villapuram to the Collectorate premises. Minister for Commercial Taxes and Registration P. Moorthy, District Collector K. J. Praveen Kumar, Virudhunagar MP Manickam Tagore, Theni MP Thanga Tamilselvan, among others were present during the meeting.
