Chennai:
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa inaugurated the Rs.1,928-crore Hogenakkal Drinking Water Project through video-conferencing from the state secretariat in Chennai on Wednesday.
The project will bring the much needed relief to the people of Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts.
Speaking on the occasion, Ms Jayalalithaa said, "When late MG Ramachandran was the chief minister, a detailed project report was prepared for implementing the scheme at an outlay of Rs.120 crore."
She added that during her first tenure as the chief minister in 1994, a project report with an outlay of Rs.350 crore was prepared but the scheme could not be implemented for want of funds.
Ms Jayalalithaa said after she became the chief minister for a second time, a proposal was sent to the central government for implementing the project with Japanese funding. The project outlay was estimated at Rs.1,005 crore and the foundation stone was laid in 2008.
While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka opposed the scheme, Ms Jayalalithaa said the Tamil Nadu assembly passed a resolution seeking the centre's support.
She said the DMK government headed by M Karunanidhi stopped the project citing elections in Karnataka in 2008 and the work got restarted later.
Ms Jayalalithaa said she speeded up the project after assuming office in 2011 as it was only 18 percent complete at that time.