chennai in a bid to improve higher education in the state the tamil nadu government today allotted rs 150 crore for buildings for the education department making a suo motu statement in the assembly chief minister jayalalithaa said the department buildings hostels and other infrastructures such as drinking water tanks and power stations would be constructed in madurai coimbatore tirunelveli dindigul ramanathapuram tuticorin nagercoil thanjavur and cuddalore districts a research and education centre would be set up at a cost of rs 25 lakh each in madras madurai kamaraj bharathiarbharathidasan annai teresa womens alagappa manonmaniam sundaranar periyar and tiruvalluvar universities the chief minister said jayalalithaa said two government engineering colleges and 10 government polytechnic colleges would soon start functioning from this year an engineering college at srirangam near tiruchirapalli and a polytechnic college at cheyyar in tiruvannamalai district would be started this year she said a total of 12 arts and science colleges including one entirely for women would be functional this year she said an arts and science college for women at veppur in perambalur district and another at tittakudi in cuddalore district would also be started this year jayalalithaa said