<p>A multi-speciality hospital with 500 beds, a world-class library in Madurai to be built at Rs 70 crores, “dream houses” for writers who have won national and international laurels, and free bus travel for trans women and the differently-abled.</p>.<p>These are part of the six major announcements made by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on the occasion of the 98th birth anniversary of his father and five-time chief minister M Karunanidhi.</p>.<p>A warehouse to store paddy at Rs 30 crore in Tiruvarur, the native district of Karunanidhi in the Cauvery delta region, and three awards carrying Rs 5 lakh each as prize money to writers who enrich Tamil literature are the other two announcements made by Stalin, who took over on May 7.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/tamil-nadu-cm-distributes-covid-19-relief-hampers-sends-second-installment-of-financial-aid-993330.html" target="_blank">Tamil Nadu CM distributes Covid-19 relief hampers</a></strong></p>.<p>Besides the fresh announcements, Stalin also launched several schemes on Thursday coinciding with his father’s birth anniversary like providing Rs 4,000 financial assistance and groceries to temple priests who do not get monthly salaries, and free ration kits to over 2 crore families due to the Covid-19 lockdown.</p>.<p>The Chief Minister also handed over enhanced financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh to families of accredited journalists who lost their lives after being infected with the novel coronavirus. In the morning, Stalin released a video on his verified social media pages dedicating the party’s emphatic win in the April 6 assembly elections to Karunanidhi and visited his memorial on the Marina Beach to pay floral tributes.</p>.<p>In a detailed statement, Stalin recalled Karunanidhi’s contributions in establishing world-class health care facilities in Tamil Nadu and announced that a multi-speciality hospital with 500 beds will be established in memory of his late father at the King Institute campus in Guindy in south Chennai. The hospital will be built at Rs 250 crore.</p>.<p>Stalin also said Kalaignar Memorial Library with modern amenities will be set up in Madurai at Rs 70 crore in an area of 2.5 lakh square feet to help students, scholars, and researchers in enriching their knowledge.</p>.<p>The institution will be set up on the lines of the Anna Centenary Library built by Karunanidhi in memory of Dravidian warhorse and DMK founder C N Annadurai, Stalin added. The Chief Minister said the government will institute a special award to honour writers who make rich contributions to Tamil literature. Three writers will be chosen every year for the award which will carry a citation and Rs 5 lakh as prize money. Besides, the government will construct ‘dream houses’ for authors who have won Jnanpith, Sahitya Akademi, and other awards of international and national repute in their choice of place in the state.</p>.<p>He also announced that the free bus travel in town buses will be extended to trans women and differently-abled once public transport is resumed in the state post-Covid lockdown.</p>
<p>A multi-speciality hospital with 500 beds, a world-class library in Madurai to be built at Rs 70 crores, “dream houses” for writers who have won national and international laurels, and free bus travel for trans women and the differently-abled.</p>.<p>These are part of the six major announcements made by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on the occasion of the 98th birth anniversary of his father and five-time chief minister M Karunanidhi.</p>.<p>A warehouse to store paddy at Rs 30 crore in Tiruvarur, the native district of Karunanidhi in the Cauvery delta region, and three awards carrying Rs 5 lakh each as prize money to writers who enrich Tamil literature are the other two announcements made by Stalin, who took over on May 7.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/tamil-nadu-cm-distributes-covid-19-relief-hampers-sends-second-installment-of-financial-aid-993330.html" target="_blank">Tamil Nadu CM distributes Covid-19 relief hampers</a></strong></p>.<p>Besides the fresh announcements, Stalin also launched several schemes on Thursday coinciding with his father’s birth anniversary like providing Rs 4,000 financial assistance and groceries to temple priests who do not get monthly salaries, and free ration kits to over 2 crore families due to the Covid-19 lockdown.</p>.<p>The Chief Minister also handed over enhanced financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh to families of accredited journalists who lost their lives after being infected with the novel coronavirus. In the morning, Stalin released a video on his verified social media pages dedicating the party’s emphatic win in the April 6 assembly elections to Karunanidhi and visited his memorial on the Marina Beach to pay floral tributes.</p>.<p>In a detailed statement, Stalin recalled Karunanidhi’s contributions in establishing world-class health care facilities in Tamil Nadu and announced that a multi-speciality hospital with 500 beds will be established in memory of his late father at the King Institute campus in Guindy in south Chennai. The hospital will be built at Rs 250 crore.</p>.<p>Stalin also said Kalaignar Memorial Library with modern amenities will be set up in Madurai at Rs 70 crore in an area of 2.5 lakh square feet to help students, scholars, and researchers in enriching their knowledge.</p>.<p>The institution will be set up on the lines of the Anna Centenary Library built by Karunanidhi in memory of Dravidian warhorse and DMK founder C N Annadurai, Stalin added. The Chief Minister said the government will institute a special award to honour writers who make rich contributions to Tamil literature. Three writers will be chosen every year for the award which will carry a citation and Rs 5 lakh as prize money. Besides, the government will construct ‘dream houses’ for authors who have won Jnanpith, Sahitya Akademi, and other awards of international and national repute in their choice of place in the state.</p>.<p>He also announced that the free bus travel in town buses will be extended to trans women and differently-abled once public transport is resumed in the state post-Covid lockdown.</p>
