Chennai, Feb 18 (IANS): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin laid the foundation stone for TIDEL parks in Tiruchy and Madurai on Tuesday.
The two IT parks, with a combined investment of Rs 717 crore, are expected to generate approximately 12,000 jobs in the state.
The TIDEL Park in Tiruchy, located at Panjapur, will cover 5.58 lakh square feet and feature a ground-plus-six-floor structure, developed at a cost of Rs 403 crore while the Madurai TIDEL Park, at Mattuthavani, will span 5.34 lakh square feet, with a ground-plus-12-floor design, built at an estimated cost of Rs 314 crore.
As part of the government’s initiative to expand the IT sector beyond Chennai, these parks will cater to IT, ITES, BPOs, and startups, creating employment opportunities for local youth.
In addition to these new projects, Chief Minister Stalin inaugurated a Rs 330 crore TIDEL Park at Pattabiram in Tiruvallur, aimed at meeting the sector’s growing demands and boosting industrial development.
TIDEL parks were first introduced in 2000 under former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi’s DMK government. Since then, successive administrations have expanded these parks to major cities like Chennai, Coimbatore, Tiruchy, and Madurai.
The state is also developing mini TIDEL parks in tier-two and tier-three cities, including Thanjavur, Viluppuram, Thoothukudi, and Salem, to decentralise IT growth. This expansion aligns with the state’s goal of becoming a $1 trillion economy by 2030.
At another event, Chief Minister Stalin presented the ‘Living Craft Treasure’ Award to nine veteran artisans, each receiving Rs 1 lakh, an eight-gram gold medal, a thamirapattiram (bronze plaque), and a certificate. The awardees for 2023-24 were: C. Murugesan; C. Rajagopal; R. Radha; C. Balaraman; S. Nagamuthu Achari; S. Krishnamoorthy; Hamsa Beevi; P. Krishnan; S. Lilly Mary. This prestigious award is given to eminent craftspeople above 65 years of age who have significantly contributed to their respective art forms.
Additionally, the Poompuhar State Awards were presented to ten artisans for their contributions to Tamil Nadu’s traditional crafts. Each recipient received Rs 50,000, a four-gram gold medal, a thamirapattiram, and a certificate.
The winners were: C.V. Ramakrishnan; G. Gunasundari; C. Kathan; R. Meyyar; K. Ramesh; H. Sridhar; K. Karthikeyan; B. Kalyanakumar and K.Chandrashekaran.
Chief Minister Stalin also handed over appointment letters to four differently-abled musicians, appointing them as tutors in Tamil Nadu Government Music Colleges in Chennai and Madurai.
The appointees are V. Kamalraj (Vocals), R. Amirtharaj (Violin), G. Kumar (Thavil) and R. Suresh Babu (Flute).
The Tamil Nadu government has also extended financial assistance to Tamil cultural organisations outside the state.
Stalin presented cheques of Rs 50 lakh each to the office-bearers of Delhi Tamil Sangam and Chandigarh Tamil Mandram to improve their infrastructure.
The event was attended by several ministers, including K.N. Nehru, T.M. Anbarasan, M.P. Saminathan, Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, and T.R.B. Rajaa, along with Chief Secretary N. Muruganandam and senior officials.