TIRUVANNAMALAI: Tamil Nadu could soon get another district, as Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami has promised that a new one, headquartered in Arani, would be carved out of Tiruvannamalai district.
He said this while campaigning in the region on Sunday, and pledged that loans of up to Rs 1 lakh, taken by handloom weavers and power loom workers, would be waived. “Power looms will get 1,000 units of free electricity, instead of the present 750, and handloom and power loom workers will get a compensation of Rs 5,000,” he added.
While canvassing for Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) ‘Sevoor’ S Ramachandran in Arani, Palaniswami accused Stalin’s father M Karunanidhi of cheating his way to becoming the Chief Minister. “VR Nedunchezhian was to be the Chief Minister, but Karunanidhi grabbed the post in a crooked manner. Unlike him, I was elected by a majority of MLAs.”
At another election meeting in Vandavasi, Palaniswami lashed out at DMK chief MK Stalin for calling him a “fake” farmer. “Stalin came to Thalaivasal in a full-sleeved shirt, pants and shoes, and walked on a concrete road to a farm. A real farmer would never do that.”
EPS recalls his farmer roots in barb against Stalin
“My family has been engaged in farming for about 70 years, and unlike him (Stalin), I know how to till land. By calling me a fake farmer, he has insulted the farming community,” Palaniswami added. T he Chief Minister went on to highlight his government’s aid to farmers, and pointed out that Tamil Nadu exceeded its food-production target of 100 lakh tons, and won the Centre’s prestigious Krishi Karman award for the last five years.
“When drought struck, we gave farmers Rs 2,247 crore, and helped them get crop insurance worth Rs 9,300 crore,” he asserted, while seeking votes for PMK candidate Murali Sankar. While the Opposition is just making promises, the government has waived crop loans of 16.43 lakh farmers, worth Rs 12,110 crore, Palaniswami added, and recalled how Rs 48 crore was allocated for pest management when fall armyworms began attacking maize crop.
As for communal tension, he said the State remains peaceful because the AIADMK government protects the interest of minorities. The DMK, on the other hand, didn’t even vote for the late APJ Abdul Kalam when he contested the Presidential polls, Palaniswami asserted. Campaigning for AIADMK candidate ‘Dusi’ K Mohan in Cheyyar, the Chief Minister said the price of yarn would be reduced, and noted that it was his government that rolled out a textile policy. Palaniswami also campaigned for AIADMK, PMK and BJP candidates in Chengam, Polur, Kalasapakkam, Kilpennathur and Tiruvannamalai constituencies.
‘DMK is a rowdy party’
Attending another campaign meeting at Uthangarai in Krishnagiri district on Sunday night, Palaniswami accused DMK of threatening government officials even when it is in the Opposition. “So, imagine the plight of these officials if DMK comes to power. DMK is a rowdy party,” he said.
The Chief Minister canvassed votes for AIADMK candidate TM Tamil Selvam and reminded all that this was the first Assembly polls after the demise of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa. “It is the need of the hour that our opponents need to be defeated. The DMK is trying to destroy the AIADMK, which has been fulfilling the people’s wishes.” Similarly at Bargur, the CM campaigned for AIADMK candidate A Krishnan.