Chennai, April 5
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin will embark on a two-day visit to the Nilgiris district starting Saturday.
He will fly from Chennai to Coimbatore, arriving at 12 pm, and then proceed to Nilgiris by road.
Upon his arrival, the Chief Minister will get a gand welcome organised by the Nilgiris District DMK at three locations, Kanchappanai in Kotagiri, Katapettu, and Cherringross in Ooty.
Thousands of DMK members are expected to gather for the occasion.
At 7 pm today, CM Stalin will chair a consultative meeting with DMK district executive committee members at a private hotel in Ooty.
The meeting will focus on the party’s preparations for the 2026 elections, where the Chief Minister is expected to urge party members to aim for a clean sweep in the district.
On Sunday, April 6, CM Stalin will leave the Ooty Guest House at 10 am and proceed to Pinker Post in Ooty, where he will inaugurate the new Government Medical College Hospital.
Built at a cost of Rs. 143.69 crore, the 700-bed facility is the first-of-its-kind in India’s hilly regions and includes a 50-bed ward exclusively for tribal people.
Ahead of the inauguration, Tamil Development and Information Minister M.P. Saminathan and Nilgiris MP A. Raja conducted an inspection of the hospital’s infrastructure.
Speaking to the media, Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma. Subramanian said the inauguration marks the fulfillment of a long-pending demand for advanced healthcare in the Nilgiris.
The hospital features ten operation theatres, MRI and CT scan centres, and other modern facilities.
Subramanian also highlighted the state’s investment of Rs. 22 crore to upgrade government hospitals in Emerald, Coonoor, and Kotagiri.
Additional infrastructure projects include, six Ayush wellness clinics across Primary Health Centres (PHCs), four new Sub-Health Centres, additional buildings for PHCs in Theppakkadu and Ithalar, a new Urban Wellness Centre at RK Puram and ongoing renovation of Gudalur GH with an allocation of Rs. 31 crore.
In terms of staffing, over 70 doctors have been appointed in the Nilgiris since April 2024.
With 36 vacancies recently filled, there are currently no vacant posts in any government hospital in the district.
The Health Department is also working to recruit specialist doctors.
During the visit, Stalin will also lay the foundation stone for Aavin’s semi-automated cheese plant in Ooty.
Funded by NABARD under the Rural Infrastructure Development Scheme, the Rs. 13.14 crore facility will have a production capacity of one tonne of cheese per day.
Dr. M. Jayaraman, General Manager of Aavin Nilgiris, said this will be the only state-run cheese plant in Tamil Nadu, taking advantage of the region’s ideal climate.
Aavin previously produced 500 kg of cheese manually, but operations were paused three months ago to install new machinery. The new plant is expected to be operational within four months.
The plant’s produce will be sent to Aavin’s Chennai distribution network, with plans to supply outlets across Tamil Nadu and to cities like Mumbai. Recruitment of operational staff is underway, with approvals expected soon.
After inaugurating the medical college and laying the foundation stone for the cheese plant, the Chief Minister will head to the grounds of Ooty Government Arts College. There, he will participate in a ceremony to distribute welfare assistance, inaugurate completed projects, and lay foundation stones for new ones. He will also deliver a keynote address. Following the conclusion of his programs in Nilgiris, CM Stalin will return to Coimbatore in the evening and fly back to Chennai
