Chennai-Salem corridor: Palaniswami questions DMK’s shift in stance

COIMBATORE: AIADMK joint co-ordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami on Friday charged that the DMK which opposed the Salem-Chennai 8-lane corridor after coming to power wants to implement the project.

Criticising the DMK for failing to implement any progressive schemes to improve the financial situation of the state, the leader of opposition said, “The DMK government has recently raised the property tax and soon it will also burden the people by increasing the bus fare and electricity charges.”

“Then DMK and its allies provoked people to protest against the eight-lane project during the AIADMK. But now, the DMK has taken efforts to implement the project and its allies are keeping silent,” he said.

Urging DMK to implement projects without affecting farmers, the opposition leader said that AIADMK never does anything against the interest of farmers. “During the AIADMK rule, the farmers were announced of a higher compensation package. I am of the stand that the eight-lane project should not affect anyone,” he said.

Condemning the state government for failing to implement its election promises, Palaniswami said 16 lakh government employees supported DMK in assembly polls believing that they would keep up their promise of bringing back the old pension scheme. “However, they all have realized that they were betrayed,” he said.

He also disputed DMKs claim of having fulfilled 70 per cent of its poll promises after merely implementing a few out of its more than 500 assurances given during the run up to the assembly polls. Further, Palaniswami said that construction materials should be brought under the essential commodities list to keep their escalating prices under check.