SALEM: On a day Congress president Rahul Gandhi garnered support for the DMK-led alliance, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami launched a broadside against the DMK-Congress combine. Speaking during a poll campaign at Mecheri in Salem on Friday to garner support for PMK candidate for Dharmapuri, Anbumani Ramadoss, the Chief Minister termed the promise of depositing Rs 72,000 per year into the accounts of beneficiaries as a pack of lies to grab power.
Terming AIADMK’s manifesto realistic, Palaniswami said that the current dispensation worked towards making a reality the promises made in the past hustings. “We fulfilled our promises. We gave laptops and bicycles to students, mixers, grinders and fans, cows and goats to the downtrodden. While we assured a pension of Rs 1,000 to the farmers, they went overboard to promise Rs 72,000 a year; this is impractical as it would cost the coffers a huge sum,” he added.
Accessibility being the hallmark of the current dispensation, the Chief Minister said that anybody could approach him without making an appointment. “We implemented the Nangavalli-Mecheri dedicated water supply scheme to ensure water to the people of this locality. Overhead water tanks are being constructed on a war footing. We sanctioned funds for sinking borewells in drought-hit areas; works are on to divert excess Mettur water into lakes and ponds in the district. The ambitious kudimaramathu scheme saw dredging of 3,000 lakes. We sanctioned Rs 1,000 crore to construct check dams,” he added.
Talking about infrastructure and allied activities, he said Chennai was soon going to get a food park worth Rs 2,000 crore. Touching uipon farmers’ issues, he said Mecheri farmers, who are into tomato and vegetable cultivation, would soon get a cold storage facility at Kamaneri between Mecheri-Tharamangalam. “The farmers will be able to store their produce free of cost for a month, and sell it off when the demand and price are suitable,” he pointed out.
At Thalaivasal, the chief minister said, the government was planning a Livestock Park for Rs 900 crore, which would be a first in Asia. “Farmers would be able to sell cattle for good rate, and hygienic meat would be available. Government would procure cattle from farmers and pay them immediately. To reduce traffic congestion, the Omalur-Mecheri State highway would be widened and three railway overbridges would be constructed at three places. Four-lane road would come up on the Bhavani-Mettur-Thoppur stretch. We have already repaired roads in the surroundings of Mettur for Rs 145 crore,” the chief minister said.
‘Work hard for poll victory’
With just six days left for the polls, CM Edappadi K Palaniswami and Deputy CM O Panneerselvam, in a letter on Friday, urged party cadre to work hard to ensure victory in all constituencies