Angry with PM? Stalin’s poser to Shah

COIMBATORE: Chief Minister MK Stalin in Salem on Monday said Union Home Minister Amit Shah is yet to reply to his question on the Union government’s contribution of special schemes for Tamil Nadu. He also took a jibe at Shah’s ‘Tamil as PM’ remark by questioning why the BJP leader is ‘angry with PM Modi’.

“I asked what the BJP government in the Centre has done for Tamil Nadu in the last nine years. There is no reply for it,” he said, adding, “I have listed out the special schemes brought to Tamil Nadu when DMK was in alliance with Congress. I doubt if he (Shah) didn’t read that or was not informed by anyone.”

Delving deeper into the issue, Stalin said, “I did not ask either on the continuous allocation of funds to schemes or regarding central projects done for all states and as well as for Tamil Nadu”

Further, the CM said, Tamil Nadu makes maximum contribution in GST but gets fewer funds than other states from the Centre. On the construction of AIIMS, Stalin said PM Modi laid the stone after the then finance minister Arun Jaitley assured fund allocation of Rs 1,200 crore in the Parliament.

“During every visit of Amit Shah to Tamil Nadu, he declared that work have got over by 50% and then by 75%. But no work has been done so far. When DMK was in power, there was no requirement for AIIMS due to our best medical infrastructure. It was announced by the Union government and is their responsibility to complete it in the state,” he said.

On Shah’s remarks about Tamil Nadu missing two Prime Ministers, Stalin wondered, “Is Shah angry with PM Modi?”

“If BJP plans to make a Tamilian as a PM candidate in 2024 Lok Sabha polls, then I think L Murugan and Tamilisai stand a chance,” he quipped.

CM opens Mettur dam for ‘kuruvai’ crop cultivation

CM Stalin on Monday opened the sluices of Mettur dam for ‘kuruvai’ cultivation in delta districts of Tamil Nadu. Officials said 3,000 cusecs of water has been released initially and it will be increased to 10,000 cusecs by evening. From July, it will be increased to 16,000 cusecs and further to 18,000 cusecs in August. Water to be released till January 2024 is expected to irrigate 5.26 lakh acres under kuruvai cultivation and then 12.10 lakh acres under ‘samba’ and ‘thaladi’ cultivation in the delta districts of Tiruchy, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Ariyalur, Mayiladuthurai, Karur, Perambalur, Pudukottai and Cuddalore. As of Monday 8 am, the dam realized an inflow of 867 cusecs and storage of 103.350 feet (69.252 TMC) as against its full reservoir level of 120 feet. Water has been released on the customary date of June 12 for the 19th time. Last year, the dam was opened in advance, for the first time, on May 24 since Independence.