CHENNAI: Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay returned to Chennai on Thursday after concluding his six-day official visit to the United Kingdom, securing investment commitments worth Rs 15,300 crore and employment potential of over 10,000 direct and indirect jobs, said an official release.
After returning, Vijay instructed officials to swiftly facilitate all operational requirements to realise the investment commitments.
Industries Minister S Keerthana, in a social media post, said the commitments in the UK span advanced manufacturing, engineering, digital technology, GCCs and new industrial capacity — sectors the state sees as important to broadening its investment base. She said several other discussions during the UK tour had reached an advanced stage.
Earlier on Tuesday, hundreds of people who gathered outside The Shard, London’s tallest building, to get a glimpse of Vijay had to return disappointed, as the chief minister’s scheduled diaspora meeting was cancelled due to safety concerns raised by the Metropolitan Police.
Meanwhile, BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran criticised the TVK government over Vijay’s visit to London, questioning the investments secured during the trip.
He said the CM went to London to attract investments from companies that are already present here. He questioned the expenditure of `6 crore to renovate a room for the CM at the existing secretariat, while the government is planning to construct a new one.
He also questioned the TVK government’s claim of being corruption-free, alleging corruption had begun from the Chief Minister’s Office itself. “The works have been started without even issuing tenders,” he alleged.
AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran demanded that the government release a white paper on Vijay’s foreign trip, detailing the investments secured during the visit. He said the government’s own release indicated that Vijay met the investors only on September 14 during the six-day visit that began on September 10. He asked whom the chief minister met on the other five days and what steps were taken to attract investments.