Chief Minister M.K. Stalin inaugurated, through videoconferencing, the ninth phase of archaeological excavations at Keeladi in Sivaganga district, the second phase of excavations at the Thulukkarpatti archaeological site near Radhapuram in Tirunelveli district, and the first phase of excavations at Kilnamandi village near Vandavasi town in Tiruvannamalai district. The state archaeological department will undertake excavations in eight places this year and for the first time, the department will undertake simultaneous excavations at eight locations. The eight places where excavations will take place this year are, Keeladi (Sivaganga district), Gangaikondacholapuram (Ariyalur district), Vembakottai (Virudhunagar), Thulukkarpatti (Tirunelveli), Kilnamandi (Tiruvannamalai), Porpanaikottai (Pudukkottai), Poothinatham (Dharmapuri) and Pattaramperumbudur. The CM also released a Keeladi augmented reality app with which people from across the globe can view the 200 artefacts excavated in Keeladi in augmented reality and 3D mode. A Tidel park will be set up in Trichy at a cost of Rs 600 crore. Mini Tidel Parks will be set up at Karaikudi and Rasipuram at a cost of Rs 70 crore. Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation will be setting up a 250-acre strategic electronics and defence industrial park at Karani in Thiruvallur district at a cost of Rs 100 crore which will provide jobs to about 3,000 people. TICEL innovation hub will be developed at a cost of Rs 10 crore at TICEL Biopark Limited in Chennai and Coimbatore
