Pilot project to detect hearing disability in kids announced

Chennai, Aug 30 (PTI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister JJayalalithaa today made a series of announcements coveringsectors such as social welfare which included among others apilot project to detect hearing disability in children at anearly stage.   Making suo motu announcements in the assembly, she saidhearing disability can be cured if addressed at an early stageand therefore a pilot project in this regard would beimplemented in Chennai and Sivaganga districts.   The project would be implemented at a cost of Rs 3.30crore in 11 hospitals in Chennai and three in Sivagangadistrict, she said.   To benefit visually challenged persons, modern glowingfoldable sticks would be provided to 5,000 such individualsthis year. These would help them detect objects at a fairamount of distance ahead.    For the benefit of special children, the government willprovide I-pads with a special software to 416 beneficiaries tohelp address their communication issues, Jayalalithaa said.   In an announcement covering the Micro Small and MediumEnterprises (MSME) sector, she said a multi-storeyedIndustrial Complex housing 250 units would be set up atTirumudivakkam here at an estimated cost of Rs 50 crore.   Two industrial estates would be set up at Sivaganga andNamakkal at a cost of Rs 36 crore to promote MSME units inthese districts, she said.   Jayalalithaa also allocated Rs three crore towards a 300 kwsolar power generation initiative to power street lights andpumpsets at Kakkalur industrial estate in Tiruvallur district.    In Chennai, one ‘Amma Environment Park’ will be set up atTondiarpet.  The Rs 2 crore worth park will include children’spark, lawn, play area and environment awareness boards, shesaid.    She also proposed allocating Rs 28 crore towards breathingnew life into the Parithipattu Lake at Avadi near here. Encroachments in the lake will be removed and it would bedesilted and renovated to attract birds.    The Chief Minister also allocated over Rs six crore forrenovation and beautification of two lakes in Erode district.PTI SA VS RCJKK