Stalin charges BJP government of withholding funds for Metro Rail, other major projects in T.N.

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin accuses Centre of withholding funding for Tamil Nadu projects, urges Union Government to prioritize state's development.

Smarting under crushing defeat in Tamil Nadu in the Lok Sabha poll, the Centre (BJP Government) was withholding funding of the State’s Metro rail and other vital projects, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin alleged on Thursday.

While the DMK government was implementing projects for the welfare of people, irrespective of the voting pattern, the “jealous” opposition was into a smear campaign, Mr. Stalin charged. The Centre had failed to rise above likes and dislikes; there was not a single major project the Centre had sanctioned for Tamil Nadu in the last 10 years. “On behalf of the people of the State, I urge the Union Government to learn a lesson at least now”, the Chief Minister said after launching the rural extension of ‘Makkaludan Mudhalvar’ scheme to bring about solutions to people’s grievances through coordination of 13 departments, within 30 days of submission of petitions.

According to him, the DMK government was treading on the path of ‘Makkalidam Sel, Makkalai Patri Arindhukol, Makkalukkaga Seyalpadu’ (go to the people, know them and work for them), delineated by former Chief Ministers Arignar Anna (C. N. Annadurai) and Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi. The people were reciprocating well, the Chief Minister said, citing a couple of instances of the direct response he had received from petitioners owing to the redressal of grievances of the public through the specially-created Mudhalvanin Mugavari Department.

The people were with the government and vice-versa. The government would continue striving to bring about real growth and make Tamil Nadu the best State in the country. “This is the reason for the success of the Dravida Model; the Union government has to learn a lesson at least now,” Mr. Stalin said.

Reiterating the State government’s keenness to fulfil requirements of all people at the grassroots, Mr. Stalin said after donning the mantle, the DMK government had, so far, redressed 66,25,304 out of 68,30,281 petitions received through the centralised coordination of the Mudhalvarin Mugavari Department. In Dharmapuri district, 73,428 grievance petitions of the public were redressed.

The Chief Minister also commissioned 621 projects, being implemented at an expenditure of ₹444.77 crore, handed over welfare assistance to the tune of ₹56.04 crore to beneficiaries on the occasion, in the presence of Ministers K.N. Nehru and M.R.K. Paneerselvam, Dharmapuri Collector K. Shanthi, and MPs and MLAs, on the occasion.