Chennai: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami today held discussions with government officials in Salem on ways and means to tackle water crisis and implementation of various government schemes in Salem district.
At a meeting that took place at Asthampatti Government Guest House, saw District Collector Rohini, Revenue Officer Dhivakar among others taking part.
Later Palaniswami meet AIADMK cadres from various parts of the district and discussed the reasons for the party’s debacle in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha polls. He will leave to Coimbatore later in the evening and from there he will reach Chenani by flight.
The Chief Minister was on a two-day visit to Salem where he inaugurated various government schemes.
Speaking after inaugurating a portion of a multi-tier flyover in Salem Friday, he urged not to look at the eight-lane green corridor as Palaniswami’s highway but as one belonging to the people. He said neither the Central government nor the State would impose any project that was detrimental to the people or the environment.
“The government does not want to implement the project by acquiring someone else’s land. It is for the benefit of the people that the project has been announced. Union government has announced the scheme on par to that of international roads. This will also reduce traffic on the stretch which will increase ease of doing business,” he said.
Palaniswami was confident of pacifying the landowners who would have to surrender their property for the highway and complete the project.
Once completed, the project would help accelerate the economy in the area, by helping in the setting up of many industries, he reasoned.
There was brief disquiet at the Salem bridge inauguration today when groups belonging to the DMK and AIADMK raised slogans. The double-decker bridge runs to 7.8 km and cost to the exchequer Rs 441 crore.