27.1.13

Somewhere in Tamil Nadu....



It is neither a waste nor a decision in haste. With this comment, the Madras high court upheld the AIADMK government’s decision to convert the previous DMK regime’s dream project — the 551-crore new assembly-cum-secretariat complex — into a multi-super specialty hospital and medical college.
Putting an end to the high-voltage controversy over the Jayalalithaa government’s plans to spend an additional 26.92 crore and convert it into a hospital-cum-medical college, a division bench, comprising Justice KN Basha and Justice N Paul Vasanthakumar, said: “The decision cannot be stated to be arbitrary and whimsical. On the contrary, the policy would promote and protect the interest of the public at large, more particularly, weaker sections of society. It is made clear that the government shall take all necessary steps for giving treatment to the poor and deserving people free of cost.”
Wasting no time, the government began work on the project hours after the court cleared the decks. Workers were seen bringing in construction material till late in the evening.
The decision to construct the new secretariat complex was announced by the DMK government on May 12, 2007, and the foundation was laid in June 2008. While it was still half-complete, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh “officially” inaugurated it on March 13, 2010, and during April-May 2010, the first session of the state assembly was held there. Three more sessions were held till February 2011.

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