Chennai: The Chief Minister, Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Tuesday asserted that the crime rate in Tamil Nadu has significantly reduced under the AIADMK regime.
Replying to remarks made by the Opposition leader M K Stalin the Assembly in the course of the debate on the demands for grants for Home Department, Mr. Palaniswami said the government took stringent action against those disrupting law and order in the State.
To back his claim, he cited how the crime rate in the State had increased by 5.1 per cent during the previous DMK period, but had significantly come down to 2.90 per cent under the AIADMK rule now.
Mr Palaniswami pointed out that during the earlier DMK rule, there were a total of 67 police firings until 2010 with at least 33 persons losing their lives. Compared to other states, the crime record in Tamil Nadu was markedly low, he said.
For instance, Mr. Palaniswami said that a Sulur-based paan masala factory near Coimbatore was raided and 'gutka' packets seized earlier this year. A special team has been constituted to investigate and arrest its owner, Amit Jain, he said. However, a DMK MLA had protested this action, but the firm which had been allegedly making 'gutka' since 2011, was distributing it to Madurai and surrounding areas, said the Chief Minister.
Highlighting the various beneficial schemes for policemen, he said that a yoga workshop was being held every weekend. To help women police maintain a work-life balance, a special training program has been formulated in association with the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurological Sciences (NIMHANS). A special program has also been formulated at a cost of Rs 10 crore with NIMHANS, he said, adding, across the state, all police commissioners meet police personnel regularly and act on their petitions and grievances.
Palaniswami justifies Sterlite G.O., says violence instigated for political gains
CM Edappadi K Palaniswami told the Assembly on Tuesday that "certain politicians" had instigated the violence during the Sterlite protests in Thoothukudi for political gains.
His statement was in response to the question posed by the Leader of Opposition and DMK working president MK Stalin as to why the Government Order (GO) for shutting of the Sterlite plant in Thoothukudi was not backed by a Cabinet decision. Stalin insisted that in the absence of such Cabinet nod, the GO could be under threat as Sterlite could move the court challenging it and have the plant reopened.
Responding to this, CM Palaniswami said the shutting of the plant was a step-by-step decision. After Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) refused the Renewal of Consent, a special team was sent to the plant for inspection. Based on the report submitted by that team, the electricity supply for the plant was cut off.
"There are over 1 lakh such industries in Tamil Nadu, all of which follow a common law. An individual cabinet decision cannot be made for each," he said, clarifying that legal experts and senior officials were consulted before the decision to shut the Sterlite plant was made. These details were all divulged to the Madurai High Court Bench, the CM said.
