T.N. Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin inaugurates ₹9.67-crore international hockey ground in Coimbatore

Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin inaugurated the hockey ground at R.S. Puram in Coimbatore city on Tuesday (December 30, 2025).

The ground, spread over 7.02 acres, at the Corporation Higher Secondary School campus in R.S. Puram was developed at an estimated cost of ₹9.67 crore. The facility is certified by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) and is eligible to host international matches.

The infrastructure includes a synthetic turf laid over 6,500 square metres, a dressing room spanning 147 square metres, two dugouts, toilets, and a six-unit pop-up sprinkler system with a pipeline length of 350 metres. Six stadium mast light poles, each 17 metres tall, have been installed, with each pole fitted with 20 LED lights of 500 watts capacity.

The Deputy Chief Minister also inaugurated the Ondipudur SIHS Colony rail overbridge, constructed at a cost of ₹55 crore, which is expected to benefit around 40,000 people.

He laid the foundation stone for 12 new projects at a cost of ₹31.7 crore and inaugurated 106 completed projects implemented at a cost of ₹152.95 crore. He also distributed benefits under various welfare schemes to 10,626 beneficiaries, including 211 persons with disabilities, at a total cost of ₹136.44 crore.

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Udhayanidhi reiterated Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s view that the Dravidian Model government works not only for those who voted for it, but also in a manner that makes even those who did not vote for it feel that they should have. Referring to the Vidiyal Payanam scheme, he said women were saving around ₹1,000 per month due to free bus travel and that about 900 crore free bus trips had been availed of by women so far. He said around 20 lakh students were benefiting from the Chief Minister’s breakfast scheme and announced that 10 lakh laptops would be distributed to government college students.

Referring to welfare measures for persons with disabilities, he recalled that former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi had created a separate department for them and said the present government had enacted legislation to ensure their representation in local bodies. Around 13,000 persons with disabilities have been nominated as representatives across the State, he added.

“The Dravidian Model government implements development schemes for all sections of society, which is why people are welcoming it,” he said.