CHENNAI: Chief Minister M. K. Stalin, who is currently in New Delhi to attend the NITI Aayog meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, is also scheduled to meet the Prime Minister in person to submit a memorandum outlining Tamil Nadu’s key demands. These include fund allocation for various schemes and the expediting of pending projects in sectors such as railways.
Sources indicated that, as per the tentative schedule, the Chief Minister is likely to meet the Prime Minister on the sidelines of the NITI Aayog meeting, which will be held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi from 9.30 a.m. and continue throughout the day.
Last year, on 23 July, Stalin had announced his intention to attend the NITI Aayog meeting but later chose to boycott it, stating that the Union government had neglected Tamil Nadu in the 2024–25 Union Budget.
However, with this year’s theme being ‘Viksit Rajya for Viksit Bharat at 2047’, which encourages states to craft bold, long-term, and inclusive vision documents aligned with national priorities, the Chief Minister is expected to highlight Tamil Nadu’s ambitions to become a $1 trillion economy by 2030.
He is also likely to raise concerns over delays in the disbursal of funds for various centrally sponsored schemes, which he says are affecting the state’s development efforts.
On Friday, Stalin met with veteran Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi at their residence, accompanied by senior DMK leaders. Posting on his X handle after the meeting, Stalin wrote:
“There is a special warmth in every meeting with Madam Sonia Gandhi and dear brother Rahul Gandhi at their Delhi residence. It never feels like a visit; it truly feels like being with family.”
He also visited Dr A. Parameswaran, the ENT surgeon from Tamil Nadu who survived the recent Pahalgam terror attack, and is currently being treated at AIIMS in New Delhi.
“Just met Dr A. Parameswaran at AIIMS Delhi… Calm, composed and courageous beyond words. I personally wished him strength and a swift recovery,” the CM wrote on X.
Stalin further inspected the ongoing construction of a new guest house within the Tamil Nadu House complex, a project he had virtually inaugurated on 26 July 2024. The works are being undertaken at a cost of Rs 257 crore.
Earlier in the day, upon his arrival from Chennai, the Chief Minister was welcomed at the airport by DMK MPs including T. R. Baalu and A. K. S. Vijayan, the Tamil Nadu government’s special representative in the national capital, along with other party leaders.