He stated this at a function at a school here on Sunday.
The chief minister said upgradation of elementary schools to high schools and the latter to higher secondary schools has reduced the number of dropouts in the district.
The chief minister said the number of state highways in the district would be converted to four-lane roads.
Among them were the Mettupalayam-Sathyamangalam, Gobichettipalayam-Chitode, Bhavani Mettur-Thoppur, Erode-Karur; and Erode- Tiruchengodu roads, he said.
He also said the ruling AIADMK has been giving a lot of importance to agriculture. A total of 1,519 tanks and ponds would be desilted so water could be stored for irrigation. The Chief Minister announced the birth anniversary of Kongu leader Kalingarayan would be observed every year as he was instrumental in developing 20,000 acres of dry land to wetland by digging the Kalingarayan canal.