The food park will be built at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore, Chief Minister E Palaniswami said (File)
A mega food processing park will be set up at Nagapattinam at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami said today.
Addressing a gathering at the Collectorate after reviewing measures taken to combat the coronavirus pandemic, the chief minister said the state is making big strides in agriculture and healthcare despite the pandemic.
"All agricultural activities are now going on without any disruption," he said.
About 28 lakh tonnes of paddy has been procured from the farmers in Cauvery delta districts amid the pandemic, which is a historic achievement, he said, adding, it is five lakh tonnes more as compared to the last year.
He pointed out that desilting work is meticulously being carried out in delta districts ensuring the free flow of Cauvery water to all tail-end areas.
Mr Palaniswami said government hospitals in the state are providing better service than private hospitals.
"Infrastructure facilities have been improved to a great extent. Poor people now get easy access to high-quality healthcare in the state," he said and added that a new medical college with a modern hospital is being constructed at Nagapattinam at a cost of Rs 365 crore.
Referring to the formation of the Mayiladuthurai district bifurcating Nagapattinam, the chief minister said that public hearing is now being conducted and the new district will start functioning soon.
Stating that Tamil Nadu is attracting investors even during the pandemic, Mr Palanisami said that the government was firmly focused on employment generation on a large scale.
He also announced that the proposed mega food processing park will generate employment opportunities in the region.
A textiles park will also be set up in the Nagapattinam district, he added.
In higher education enrolment too, Tamil Nadu has made significant improvements during the past 9 years, he said.
Claiming that the government had taken all steps to combat COVID-19 and control its spread, the chief minister pointed out that Tamil Nadu has the highest recovery rate in the country and is conducting more COVID tests per day than any other states.