DMK fulfilled 364 of 505 poll promises: TN finance minister Thennarasu
CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu on Tuesday said that of the 505 promises listed in the DMK’s 2021 election manifesto, 364 have been fulfilled in the past four-and-a-half years. Of the remaining promises, 40 are under consideration, 37 are awaiting approval from the union government, while 64 have not been taken up for implementation.
Thennarasu, along with Transport and Electricity Minister S S Sivasankar and Higher Education Minister K Govi Chezhiaan, outlined the progress made in key schemes of 11 major departments at a press conference at the state secretariat here on Tuesday.
Chief Minister MK Stalin, who is currently in Germany, later referred to the minister’s briefing in a post on X, saying, “We have accomplished what we promised. We have also done beyond what we promised. The CM’s breakfast scheme, Naan Mudhalvan scheme, Pudhumai Penn scheme, Tamil Pudhalvan scheme, which have been implemented as pioneering schemes for the entire country, are not part of our electoral promises.”
The CM also said the DMK government had overcome a decade of financial mismanagement, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and “persistent betrayal” by the BJP-led centre. “Accessibility, accountability, transparency, inclusivity, responsibility and sustainability have been the hallmarks of the DMK government,” he added.
Detailing the government’s achievements, Thennarasu said the fiscal deficit had come down from 4.91% in 2021 to 3% now, while the revenue deficit dropped from 3.49% to 1.17% during the same period.
The Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), which stood at 0.07% in 2021, has risen to 11.19% in 2024-25. Tamil Nadu has achieved double-digit growth for the first time in a decade, he said.
Responding to criticism on borrowings, the minister said those raising concerns failed to acknowledge the state’s double-digit growth.
He maintained that borrowings were kept within finance commission norms and had been directed towards capital expenditure. “This shows that the government has the capacity to repay the loans,” he added. Thennarasu also pointed out that industrial growth in the state has been decentralised during the past four-and-a-half years.
The number of factories, which stood at 46,189 in 2020-21, has gone up to 52,616 in 2024-25. So far, 897 MoUs have been signed, attracting investments worth Rs 10.28 lakh crore, generating around 32.23 lakh direct and indirect jobs. Exports, valued at $26.15 billion in 2021, have nearly doubled to $52.07 billion by 2024-25.
BJP demands white paper on CM’s foreign trips
Chennai: TN BJP president Nainar Nagenthran on Tuesday condemned the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission for mistranslating Mudisoodum Perumal, one of the names of Ayya Vaikundar, as the “God of hair cutting” in its English version of the question paper, calling it a show of disrespect. Nagenthran said the error may not have been deliberate but urged the government to hold those responsible accountable.
He also demanded that the government to release a white paper on CM Stalin’s foreign visits so that people can assess whether they have benefitted the state. He alleged that the CM signed MoUs worth Rs 3,200 crore with three companies that are already operating in Tamil Nadu for years, and claimed that investment inflows into the state were lower compared to Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.