CHENNAI: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said the government’s stance on the Katchatheevu island dispute would be presented in the Supreme Court. Responding to queries regarding the central government’s actions concerning the issue over the past decade, she said two writ petitions are currently awaiting verdict in the Apex court.
Speaking to the press in Pallavaram here, she asserted issues of public interest can be brought up at any time and refuted allegations that the BJP is politicising the matter ahead of the election. “There is no specific time deemed auspicious to raise any issue,” she remarked.
She was in the city to address the Viksit Bharat Ambassador campus dialogue programme.
Responding to Chief Minister MK Stalin’s remarks suggesting that the BJP could have financed her election expenses using the funds earned through electoral bonds, Sitharaman said fielding a candidate is the decision of the party. “There are numerous issues within the DMK. I was surprised that the CM spoke about it.
We are not hesitant to contest in Tamil Nadu. There are 23 candidates fielded under the lotus symbol in TN,” she added. The FM further claimed state governments have been taking credit for several schemes that are fully funded by the Union government.
She also dismissed the DMK’s claims that the Centre had not disbursed any funds during the severe floods caused by Cyclone Michuange in December last year. “We have disbursed our dues to the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) on time. The central government had ‘brought in’ Rs 5,000 crore for the construction of stormwater drains in Chennai.
Had the state government utilised the funds effectively, the city would not have suffered the extent of damage witnessed during Cyclone Michaung. Initially, one minister claimed that 90% of the funds were utilised, but later retracted the statement. Where has the money gone?” she questioned.
Minister may be referring to ADB, KfW loans: Corporation
When contacted, Chennai corporation sources said Sitharaman may have been referring to the Rs 4,980 crore storm water project that was funded through loans from the Asian Development Board and Germany-based KfW Development Bank.
“Usually, the loans from foreign banks are disbursed through the (Ministry of Finance’s) department of Economic Affairs. It is repaid with interest by the state government and the city corporation; the centre has no role in it,” said a senior corporation official.
Storm water drains worth Rs 3,220 crore in the northern parts of the city under the Kosasthalaiyar basin and another 560 kilometres of drains worth Rs 1,760 crore in the southern parts of the city under the Kovalam basin have been taken up.
Of the Rs 3,220 crore, around Rs 1,748 crore have been funded through an ADB loan at 4.5% interest, another Rs 650 odd crore by the Municipal Administration and Water Supply department while a chunk of the remaining is funded by the city corporation itself. Of the Rs 1,760 crore, the state government has funded Rs 350 crore, the city corporation’s contribution is around Rs 175 crore and the remaining is received from KfW at 4.5% interest.