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Title: Need to establish a Research Centre of DRDO in Dharmapuri district, Tamil Nadu.
SHRI R. THAMARAISELVAN (DHARMAPURI): I would like to bring to the kind attention of the Government that an initiative was taken up by the Defence Research and Development Organisation last year to set up a Research Centre of National importance at Dharmapuri . For this purpose the State Government of Tamil Nadu had identified ;the land for allotment to Defence Research and Development Organisation for the said purpose. A team of DRDO has also inspected the site at Nekkundhi village in Dharmapuri. Dharmapuri is one of the most backward districts in the State of Tamil Nadu. This initiative was a golden opportunity to generate employment for nearly 15,000 people of this most backward district. The State Government and the District Administration had provided all the details required by the DRDO to set up this Research Centre at Dharmapuri. However, there has been no progress to establish this much awaited Research Centre at Dharmapuri by the Defence Research and Development Organisation. I, therefore, like to urge upon the Hon’ble Defence Minister to expedite the setting up of a Research center of the DRDO at Dharmapuri so that people of this industrially backward district of Tamil Nadu can get employment and will also help change the face of Dharmapuri district from backward to a developed district.