Jayalalithaa announces 500 Amma gymnasiums, after her canteens give public a run for their money

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government will set up 500 Amma gymnasiums and Amma parks in the rural areas across the state for the benefit of the youth.

The project are expected to cost more than 100 crores.

"Amma parks would be established in village panchayats at a cost of Rs 100 crore in this financial year.

“The parks would have good drinking water facility, toilets, play equipment, cement benches,” TOI quoted CM Jayalalithaa as saying in the TN assembly.

“Children, women and senior citizens can spend time in these parks which will also contain green grass," she reportedly said.

The government will also set up 500 Amma gymnasiums in rural areas at a cost of Rs 10 lakh each, the report said.

"The gymnasiums will help youth in rural areas be fit both physically and mentally. The government will spend Rs 50 crore to set up the gymnasiums," the chief minister said.

She also said the self-help groups will be able to get loans from banks to the tune of Rs 6,000 crore.

"In the last five years, the banks have lent Rs 26,460 crore as loans to SHGs and this year it would be Rs 6,000 crore," she said.

"For the first time in 2015-16, under the Tamil Nadu Rural Roads Upgradation Scheme, all sandy roads were converted into tar roads at a cost of of Rs 800 crore.

“This year, 900km of sandy roads and 1200km of damaged roads will be repaired at a cost of Rs 800 crore. This would help farmers transport their produce easily and this would also improve the rural economy," the report quoted the chief minister as saying.