MADURAI: Campaigning to garner votes for the AIADMK candidates in Madurai, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, while speaking in Othakadai of Madurai East constituency here on Thursday promised that basic amenities including underground drainage connections would be provided to extended areas in the city.
Claiming that DMK would rule only through Kangaroo Courts, Palaniswami said, "Our candidates are calm and talented ones who would visit your houses not to beat you but to hear your grievances and solve them."
For a State to grow, law and order has to be maintained. In the past 4.2 years, there have not been any communal riots. People are living at peace, he said, adding, "If DMK is voted to power, shopkeepers could not function peacefully. Even in a recent incident, the DMK functionaries, who had food in a Chennai hotel, have beaten up the shopkeeper black and blue for demanding to pay the bills. The next day Stalin went to the same shop, to warn the shopkeeper and not his own party cadre."
He also alleged that if the DMK functionaries find a piece of land anywhere in the district, they would immediately grab it. "Our 'Amma' J Jayalalithaa have recovered 14,000 acres of such land and returned it to the poor people," he said.
Listing out various schemes brought during the AIADMK tenure, he said that 51,31,000 students have been given laptops. Similarly, under 'Thaliku Thangam' scheme four grams of gold was given initially. It was increased to eight grams later. He also promised to increase it further.
By implementing Kudimaramathu scheme, we ensured not even a drop of rainwater water gets wasted. After five years, all the water bodies in the State has reached its full capacity.
"During DMK tenure, farmers, industrialists and students suffered from severe power cut. But we ensured round-the-clock electricity supply. This has also attracted many industrialists. Many choose Tamil Nadu for investment. A sum of 304 industries with investments worth '3.50 lakh crore are soon to be started in the State. This would bring employment opportunities for 5.5 lakh youngsters directly and to 5 lakh youngsters indirectly. For a State to grow, both industries and farming should shine. We are balancing both equally," he added.
He also elaborated on the poll promises highlighted in the manifesto.