MADURAI/RAMANATHAPURAM/VIRUDHUNAGAR: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami said that the State government is following the footsteps of late CM J Jayalalithaa and is making efforts to retrieve Katchatheevu from Sri Lanka.
He was speaking during the foundation stone laying ceremonies of government medical colleges in Ramanathapuram and Virudhunagar. Praising the Central government, Palaniswami said that Tamil Nadu is the only state to get 11 new medical colleges. He also said that Ramanathapuram district was created due to the efforts taken by former chief minister MG Ramachandran.
Taking on the Opposition, the CM said that a few political parties have been spreading rumours among the members of the minority communities, and that his government will always protect the welfare of minorities in the State.
Cracker crisis
Speaking at Virudhunagar, Palaniswami said that when the firecracker industry was facing crisis, the Tamil Nadu government stood with the businesses and appealed for them in the Supreme Court. “This government will always protect the welfare of the workers in this industry,” he said. He also laid the foundation stones for nine welfare schemes worth Rs 448.76 crore.
DMK can’t emulate us: OPS
This includes the Thamirabarani Additional Combined Drinking Water Project worth Rs 444 crore that will provide water for Aruppukottai, Virudhunagar and Sattur regions. He also inaugurated 25 new government buildings built at a cost of around Rs 253.91 crore and distributed welfare schemes to the tune of Rs 47.28 crore to 22,350 beneficiaries. Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said that DMK would not be able to emulate AIADMK in implementing the welfare schemes. “Stalin cannot appreciate or even recognise what we are doing for the people. His eyes are fixed only on power, and is behaving like an enemy to the welfare of the people,” he said in Virudhunagar.
Health Minister Vijaya Baskar, Information and Publicity Minister Kadambur C Raju, Ministers KT Rajenthra Bhalaji and other ministers, district collectors Veera Raghav Rao, R Kannan and other officials were present on the occasion.Palaniswami said that DMK had implemented National Population Register during Congress rule in the Centre and the party at that time had introduced it in the State as well. Enough clarifications given in this regard, the chief minister said.