CHENNAI: Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday requested Union Home Minister Amit Shah to initiate steps to withdraw Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2022, and allow State-owned distribution licensees to continue the supply of quality power at affordable rates to the people.
Speaking at the 30th Southern Zonal Council Meeting held in Trivandrum, the CM urged the Centre to declare Raigarh-Pugalur-Trissur 800 KW HVDC system as an asset of national and strategic importance to avoid tariff shock to southern States. Reiterating the age-old call of the DMK, ‘Federalism at the Centre; Autonomy for States’, the CM said, “When we proposed this 50 years ago we were a minority but today all State governments and regional parties have embraced our motto.”
The CM also urged the Centre to create a high-speed rail corridor connecting specific locations within Tamil Nadu and neighbouring States. The move would be much more economical, more energy efficient and less polluting than aeroplanes and automobiles, he said.
“In order to increase the average speed of travel in the State, I insist on the creation of a high-speed rail corridor connecting Chennai, Coimbatore, Thoothukudi, and Madurai to neighbouring States as well.” This would reduce carbon footprint and enhance TN’s economic prosperity, the CM said.
‘The Tamil Nadu Admission to Undergraduate Medical Degree Courses Bill’ passed unanimously by the Assembly is pending with the Union government and the Home Minister must intervene to get President’s assent,” the CM said. Some of his other demands included extending the compensation period for GST for up to two years and immediate release of disaster relief and other such funds to the State.
Talking about the privatisation of airports across the country, the CM said, “Normally, State governments acquire land and transfer it to central PSUs and AAI free of cost for setting up airports. If the assets are later transferred to a third party, the value realised must be proportionately shared with the State governments considering the huge investment made by them,” the CM said.
Regarding sharing of real-time information on internal security, the CM suggested better coordination among intelligence chiefs of southern States and appealed to fellow CMs to work unitedly on this front. He also called for a simplified mechanism by the Centre to allow States to enter into MoUs with other countries, especially in the sectors of investment promotion and strengthening academia-industry network, and sought an opportunity to host the next Southern Zone Council meet in TN.
Stalin’s demands