CHENNAI: Dismissing opposition claims of the increasing debt burden of the state government, Chief Minister M K Stalin on Sunday said that the DMK government has brought down debt growth substantially in the last four years, and the loans being availed of are an investment for the future generation.
Answering a question about the budget in his ‘Ungalil Oruvan’ video series, Stalin said, “If the criticisms are constructive, we can consider them. But when they make negative criticism just for the sake of it, it only shows their malice towards the state government.” Stalin pointed out that between 2011 and 2016, the debt growth stood at 108%. This went up to 128% from 2016 to 2021. But after the DMK government assumed office, the debt growth was brought down to 93%.
To a question about his tweet on using Tamil letter ‘’ in place of the rupee symbol that hit the headlines across the country, Stalin said, “We placed Tamil letter ‘’ to demonstrate our commitment to the language policy. That’s all. But those who dislike Tamil have made that a big news.”
“The union finance minister, who was silent on my demands in the past, has responded to that. She has used ‘’ in many of her posts (on social media). In all, the TN budget and Tamil language have become a hit at the national level,” he added.
On the question of how TN differs from other states on debt issue, the CM said, “The recent economic survey showed that the debt (to GSDP ratio) of TN is within the limits. There is no government which does not borrow. Whether we spend these loans properly is what is important.”
‘World-renowned experts consulted in preparing budget’
“In that respect, the DMK government has been spending the loans availed as an investment for the future generation. That is why, the experts and newspapers have ignored the meaningless criticism of the opposition parties,” he added.
Answering a query on how the budget preparation was done, the CM recalled his consultations with the Economic Advisory Council comprising world-renowned experts and numerous meetings with ministers and officials at the state secretariat for hours on many days.
Giving a detailed account on how the newspapers and financial experts hailed the various aspects of the budget, Stalin showed a copy of the TNIE’s headline —‘Budget that counts all’ — and the illustration that went with the headline on front page and hailed the coverage. He also referred to the budget coverage of other newspapers. Replying to a question on his next plan, the CM said “My immediate task is to gear up the ministers and officials to implement whatever is announced on time.
“Also, we must continue our fight against the union government’s financial discrimination towards Tamil Nadu and the reduction in the number of Lok Sabha constituencies due to delimitation. We have to make Tamil Nadu a trillion-dollar economy by 2030 and secure the numero uno position in all aspects. There is plenty of work ahead and no time to rest,” the CM asserted.
Stalin lauds poet Vairamuthu
Chennai: Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin on Sunday paid rich tributes to poet Vairamuthu, recalling his contributions to Tamil literature, his achievements in film industry besides admiring him on his multi-faceted personality. Stalin hailed Vairamuthu at the valedictory of an international conference on the literary works of the poet, held here.
“Kallikattu Ithikasam, Vairamuthu’s novel, has been translated into 22 languages by Sahitya Akademi and the poet has been honoured with national awards, including Padmashri, Padmabushan and Sadana Samman. Three universities have honoured him with doctorates. More than 100 people have received their M.Phil by researching his works while over 60 people have received doctorates on Vairamuthu’s works. Some people vanished from the scene just after one film, and some disappeared after writing five books. But Vairamuthu continues his journey in the literary world for more than 50 years,” Stalin said. The CM also said Vairamuthu’s novels show his versatility in dealing with different themes. He bridged the Sangam literature and present literature.
“Let the number of your film songs cross 10,000 and the number of books by you cross 100,” Stalin added.