Chennai: Chief Minister M K Stalin accused the Union Government of seeking to annihilate the States with a view to destroying the local language, race and culture by choking State governments of all finances through the denial of legitimate economic assistance and cutting out of all sources of funds without realizing that it was the union of States that made the nation.
Criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making vain visits to the State just to canvass for votes on the eve of elections, Stalin, speaking at the government function held at Dharmapuri on Monday, said that the reduction of LPG price at the rate of Rs 100 per cylinder after effecting an increase of Rs 500 over 10 years was just a gimmick to take the people for a ride.
Referring to Modi’s statement that he would not allow the funds meant for the development of the people to be looted, the Chief Minister asked him what funds he had given to the State and reminded the people of the outstanding dues that the Union Government had to pay the State, including the Rs 20,000 crore compensation for the loss caused by the implementation of GST and the Rs 37,000 crore sought as relief to overcome the damages caused by the two successive floods.
Also pointing out that the State bore three fourth of the cost for the Prime Minister’s Housing Scheme and 50 per cent of the expenses for the Jal Jeevan scheme, he said that they were classic cases of the Union Government ‘putting up stickers’ on schemes funded by the State government and also pointed out that the approval and matching funds for the next phase of Chennai Metro Rail project had not yet come.
Reminding the Prime Minister that tax, in all forms, was basically paid by the people residing in the States, Stalin said that people could easily see through his sudden concern for the State and its people that had come only because of the elections.
In Tamil Nadu, the people, the government and the DMK worked as one family providing a rule by crores of families, he said. Though that is criticized as ‘family rule’ it gave a sense of belonging to the people who attended the government event as though it was a family function, he said and urged the people to keep up with the spirit and also guide the entire nation for a prosperous future.
The event at Dharmapuri, marking the inauguration of welfare schemes and laying the foundation for new projects totally worth Rs 560.23 crore for the districts of Dharmapuri, Krishnaagiri and Salem, besides distributing assistance to 8736 beneficiaries, also saw the Chief Minister making announcements on future projects for the districts.
Describing his government as the conscience of the people, he said it had helped every family through the schemes for the welfare of women, students, youth, the elderly, farmers and workers and took a swipe at the previous AIADMK government.
Alleging that work on the Hogenakkal Integrated Drinking water project that was envisaged when he was the State Minister for Local Administration in 2008 and subsequently inaugurated by M Karunanidhi as Chief Minister was actually stopped by the AIADMK government.
Among the plethora of development schemes announced for the three districts were a Rs 36.15 crore rail over bridge at Bharathipuram linking Vennampatti road to Dharmapuri State Highway and hill roads, at a cost of Rs 12 crore, from Vachathi to Kalasapadi. He briefly mentioned the infamous Vachathi incident of 1992 and said that it was the DMK government that provided a relief of Rs 10 lakh eac to 18 victims and assured that more job opportunities would open up for them.
In the 1992 massacre, over which the Chief Minister did not dwell upon, 18 tribal women were raped and 215 police, forest and revenue officials and 215 officials were convicted in the case. It was to those victims that Stalin assured more assistance and roads to their villages.
