Daijiworld Media Network – Chennai
Chennai, Aug 19: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has announced that all MLAs in the state will be provided with new cars to help them travel to their constituencies and address public concerns more effectively.
Speaking in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, Vijay said legislators need to regularly travel to their constituencies to understand and address people's needs. Under the new support, the government will provide cars to all MLAs along with Rs 75,000 per month towards drivers' salaries and vehicle-related expenses.
The government will also provide Rs 25,000 per month to each MLA's office to hire an assistant.
The announcement came after VCK MLA Jothimani raised concerns over the lack of logistical support available to legislators and sought vehicles to help them carry out their constituency responsibilities.
A senior DMK MLA said successive governments had not acted on similar requests, citing financial constraints. The MLA noted that local-body representatives such as municipal and union chairpersons, mayors and deputy mayors already receive official vehicles, while MLAs do not have the same facility.
The Tamil Nadu government also announced Rs 351 crore to increase student admission capacity in government medical colleges. A total of 6,098 additional seats will be created across medical, nursing and paramedical courses.
The expansion will include 660 BSc Nursing seats, 1,925 additional seats in nursing colleges and schools, 2,778 seats across 12 paramedical courses and 735 additional medical seats. Seven new government nursing colleges will also be established.
A 400-bed multi-speciality hospital will be established in Perambalur at an estimated cost of Rs 300 crore. The facility is expected to provide advanced medical treatment and healthcare services to people in the region.
The government has also proposed increasing the annual treatment limit under the Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 25 lakh.
Additional medical and surgical services for transgender persons will be provided under the scheme at government hospitals in Chennai, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Chengalpattu, Thiruvarur, Karur and Kanyakumari.