CHENNAI: Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take expeditious steps to set up the Cauvery Management Board and the Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee, as directed by the Supreme Court.
Palaniswami, who utilised the occasion of the PM's visit to the city to launch the Amma two-wheeler scheme here on Saturday, said Modi should use his good office and ensure the constitution of CMB and CWRC at the earliest. Thanking the PM for launching the dream project of Puratchi Thalaivi Amma (late CM J. Jayalalithaa) here, Palaniswami said 70 lakh saplings would be planted throughout the year to mark her birth anniversary celebrations. He also thanked the Prime Minister for lauding the ancient language Tamil recently.
Recalling a slew of welfare initiatives and freebie schemes launched by Jayalalithaa, he said the schemes included 'thalikku thangam,' (gold for mangalsutra) for women, free milch cow and goats, free computers for students and new colleges for the uplift of rural students.
“The Amma two-wheeler scheme was the first among the files that I signed when I became Chief Minister,” Palaniswami said and added that up to 50 per cent subsidy would be provided to one lakh women beneficiaries per annum.
Speaking on the occasion, Deputy CM O. Panneerselvam said the Prime Minister was “courageously leading India.” Stating that Amma had implemented several schemes for the safety and well being of women, right from their birth to old age, he said this scheme too envisioned by the late leader, was for people's welfare and development. He expressed the Amma two-wheeler scheme too would be a forerunner for other state governments, like other previous initiatives.
So far 3,36,103 women have applied under the scheme and scrutiny of such applications were under process, according to the ruling AIADMK. In December last, Palaniswami had announced that scooters would be distributed to one lakh women at a subsidised rate on the occasion of Jayalalithaa’s 70th birth anniversary.
