Anbumani meets Stalin to dicuss 10.5% reservation for Vanniyars

CHENNAI: PMK state president Anbumani Ramadoss on Saturday met Chief Minister M K Stalin and urged him to ensure that 10.5% compartmental reservation for Vanniayars is implemented in the State from this year.

Talking to media persons after meeting the CM at the Secretariat, Anbumani referred to the March 2022 order of the Supreme Court order striking down 10.5% reservation for Vanniyars, 2.5% for de-notified communities and 7% for other BCs for want of data, and said that the State government issued a GO in January 2023, enabling the re-constituted state BC commission to collect data within three months and make recommendations to the government to extend compartmental reservation to Vanniyars among the MBCs in the state.

"A month has already gone by. We have asked the chief minister to expedite the process and ensure that internal reservation (compartmental reservation) for Vanniyars is implemented from this year," Anbumani added.

Remarking that Vanniyars and Dalits, who account for 40% of the state population, were the most backward communities in the state, the PMK president said, "If they (two communities) develop, the state will develop. We have taken up the issue on the basis of social justice. No one will be affected by it (compartmental reservation). It is not against any community. We have urged the CM to expedite the process and ensure social justice to the MBCs in the state."

The PMK delegation comprising its legislature party leader G K Mani and former union minister A K Murthy also urged the CM to pay special attention to eliminate drug menace in the state. Ramadoss junior asked the CM to convene a special meeting of district collectors and SPs every month to monitor and eliminate the drug menace in the state.

Anbumani also said that they have asked Stalin to announce the Dharmapuri Cauvery Water project to save the people of Dharmapuri from fluoride (groundwater) impact and ensure potable drinking water supply and improvement of life and livelihood to the people of the district. The project envisages diversion of three tmcft of Cauvery Water to fill lakes in the district.