Youth self-help groups to be launched in Tuticorin district

The administration will form self-help groups comprising youth in the district during the current fiscal, to enhance the self-employment opportunities, said the Collector, R. Palaniyandi, here on Saturday."A total of 185 groups will be established before March 31, 2007, with each group comprising of 12 to 20 members between the age of 18 and 35 years," he said.

The Collector told this at the monthly press conference organised here on Saturday to explain the development works being undertaken by various Government departments for 2006-07.

According to him, unemployed youth would be able to avail loans to start business ventures once they became a SHG member.

Besides the formation of youth self-help groups, the administration also plans to form 432 more women self-help groups in the district, he added.Dr. Palaniyandi said that periodic maintenance of roads would be carried out on a stretch of 70 km, a new high - level bridge would be constructed and two old bridges would be reconstructed, all at a cost of Rs.15.33 crore.

Of this, Rs.3.65 crore would be earmarked for road maintenance works and the remaining for bridge works.

The Collector said that the new bridge would come up at Srivaikundam at a cost of Rs.8.18 crore on Tiruchendur - Palayamkottai stretch.

Meanwhile, the reconstruction of bridges would be taken up at Tuticorin-Tiruchendur Road and Alwarthirunageri-Sattankulam Road at a cost of Rs.3.5 crore.

Source: The Hindu