Tirupur: Tamil Nadu will soon be free from power cuts with several new projects on the anvil to generate more electricity to meet the demands, assured Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa here. Addressing an election rally in the export hub of Tirupur, Jayalalithaa said new projects to generate 5,300 MW of electricity are under implementation.
“Besides, pacts have been signed to purchase 3,300 MW of power for the next 15 years. Hence the state may soon be relieved from power cuts,” she said.
With the improvement in infrastructural facilities under the AIADMK regime, several Indian and multinational companies have shown keen interest in starting business in Tamil Nadu.
“Almost 33 Indian and multinational companies have made memorandum of understanding to make investments to the tune of 31,706 crores. This may provide direct and indirect employment job opportunity to around two lakh persons,” the Chief Minister said.
Pointing out that 1,78,160 new micro, small and medium enterprises were registered during the previous government, J Jayalalithaa said however after the AIADMK came to power, 2,55,718 micro, small and medium enterprises were newly registered from 2011 to January 2014.
Emphasising her commitment to increase the agriculture produce, the chief minister said that Tamil Nadu was the only state across the country to allocate compensation for the drought affected farmers.
“In the last one year, more than 1,328.49 crores have been given away as compensation to 20. 90 lakh armers in the state,” she said.
Jayalalithaa said that the dyeing and textile units in Tirupur have got a revival after the state government gave away interest free loans of Rs 200 crores to install treatment plants to ensure zero discharge of effluents. “Of the 754 dyeing and textile units, which were closed down during the DMK government, 508 units have now begun to function,” she said.
Recalling her efforts for getting the gazette notification of the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal , the Chief Minister also blamed the DMK and Congress for doing nothing to sort out the inter-state water dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. “The Congress government at the centre has been delaying the setting up of the Cauvery Monitoring committe which will ensure implementation of the award,” she said.
The Chief minister also criticised the Congress-led government at the Centre for taking an anti-farmers approach in permitting Gas Authoring of India Ltd. (GAIL) to lay gas pipelines through farmlands cutting across seven districts including Erode and Tirupur districts in the state.
“When GAIL has laid pipelines along the highways in all other places, why couldn’t it be done in Tamil Nadu?” she queried.
The Chief Minister also opposed the environment ministry, which gave its nod to private firms for conducting trials on around 200 genetically modified crops.
