Chennai: Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa announced a slew of initiatives, including converting incandescent bulbs used for street lighting into energy efficient LED, steps to totally do away with open defecation and amenities for attendants of patients in government hospitals.
Making a statement under Rule 110 in the State Assembly on Monday, she said the existing street lamps in urban areas would be replaced with LEDs.
Municipalities and corporations spent about 25 per cent of revenue towards electricity charges at present and after LED conversion, they would be able to cut down power bills by 35 per cent.
In the first phase, fluorescent bulbs in 10 corporations and 37 municipalities would be changed to LED, she said. In the rural areas, work was on to convert 8.24 lakh incandescent lamps to LED for street-lighting at a cost of Rs 300 crore and 8.22 lakh additional conventional lights would be made LED this year. This year, Dindigul Corporation and remaining all Municipalities would be equipped with LED lamps at a cost of '320 crore with public-private partnership.
As part of the efforts to completely do away with open defecation in town panchayat areas, 90,150 lavatories would be built at a cost of Rs 108.18 crore and 2,620 toilets would be built under community toilet plan for Rs 17.03 crore this year.
