CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Edappadi K Palaniswami who is leaving here for New Delhi on Friday for the June 15 meeting of Niti-Aayog, the first meeting of the plan think-tank after Prime Minister Narendra Modi won a second term, is expected to raise a host of issues concerning the State, the most vital among them being pending funds from the Centre under various heads.
The Prime Minister, as chairperson of Niti-Aayog, will address the Chief Ministers of all the States, who are members of its Governing Council. Mr. Palaniswami would make use of this opportunity to also raise other critical issues concerning Tamil Nadu including additional funds to tackle the severe water scarcity in the northern parts of the State including Chennai, and funds for new desalination plants.
Sources said that high on the agenda of the Chief Minister is the huge compensation arrears Tamil Nadu is to get since the implementation of the GST (Goods and Services Tax), besides funds due for the Local Bodies, among others. These funds are crucial to help tide over the revenue gap in the state budget.
The Cauvery issue is also expected to figure in the one-to-one talks Mr. Palaniswami is slated to have with the Prime Minister, Mr. Modi, on the sidelines of the ‘NITI-AAYOG’ meet.
The Chief Minister, Mr. Palaniswami, also plans to meet the Union Home Minister, Mr. Amit Shah separately, where issues related to the appointment of a new DGP and Chief Secretary for Tamil Nadu is expected to be mentioned. Though Mr. Palaniswami’s meeting with Mr. Shah is said to be only a ‘courtesy call’ after the new Government took over in New Delhi, it is also expected that the political situation in the state would come up.
The meeting assumes significance in the wake of the AIADMK deciding to continue with the ‘dual leadership’ in the party, the convening of the AIADMK general council and the ensuing Assembly session which is expected to be stormy after the recent 22 Assembly bye-elections. The vote though has ensured nine additional MLAs’ for the AIADMK placing it above the magical halfway mark of 118 in the Assembly, the opposition DMK with its renewed strength with 13 new MLAs’ in the House may press for a confidence vote.
