Wooing the people of Tamil Nadu particularly women, Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday said the state got higher funds allocations and projects with huge investments under his Bharatiya Janata Party government.
However in his about 15 minute speech, he avoided any reference to the strong demand from state parties for setting up a Cauvery Management Board, as directed by the Supreme Court to which Chief Minister K Palaniswami made a reference in his welcome address at a function here.
Modi was here to launch the Tamil Nadu government’s subsidised scooter scheme called Amma Two Wheeler Scheme for working women as a part of 70th birth anniversary of late chief minister J Jayalalithaa.
He also planted a tree sapling and inaugurated the plan to plant 7mn tree saplings as a part of Jayalalithaa birth anniversary celebrations in the state.
Beginning his speech in Tamil saying that he is proud to stand on the soil of great poet and freedom fighter Mahakavi Subramania Bharathi, Modi said he bows his head to Tamil culture and language.
Noting that around 950,000 women in Tamil Nadu benefited from the central government’s free cooking gas scheme, he said that over Rs240bn worth of projects are implemented by the central government in Tamil Nadu after the BJP came to power at the Centre.
The central government has sanctioned Rs37bn for the Chennai Metro Rail project, he said.
Taking a dig at the earlier Congress-led government at the Centre, Modi said under the previous regime, Tamil Nadu got just Rs81bn under the 13th Finance Commission whereas under BJP regime, the state got around Rs180bn under the 14th Finance Commission allocation.
According to him, Tamil Nadu got Rs7bn during 2016-17 and Rs2bn during 2017-18 under the rural housing scheme, while for urban housing, over Rs60bn has been given to the state.
He also added that around Rs26bn has been given under the crop insurance scheme.
Referring to the long coastline, Modi said the central government has given Rs1bn to Tamil Nadu for converting 750 fishing boats to long-liners for deep sea fishing.
Underlining the importance of the woman in a family and society, he said empowering a woman is empowering a whole family.
He said around Rs4.16tn has been given under the Mudra loan scheme of which 70% is for women.
Modi said the women of India are coming out of their age old shackles and seeking self- employment.
The subsidised two-wheeler scheme is part of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazghagam’s 2016 poll promise.
Under the scheme, the government will provide 50% subsidy subject to a maximum of Rs25,000 for the purchase of two wheelers by working women.
Palaniswami urged Modi to take steps to set up the Cauvery Management Board and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee as per the apex court’s order in the river water dispute case.
Welcoming the gathering, Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said the state government continues to follow the footsteps of Jayalalithaa.
Earlier Modi was received at the Chennai airport by Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Palaniswami and Panneerselvam.
From the airport he went to naval base INS Adyar by a helicopter and from there he went by road to Kalaivanar Arangam where the function was held.
A large number of people had gathered on the pavement along Modi’s route to Kalaivanar Arangam and greeted him.
Earlier in the day, Modi flagged off the first flight connecting the Union Territory of Daman and Diu with Ahmedabad under the Udaan Scheme besides projects worth Rs10bn.
“Daman has now been connected to Diu with air services and therefore people from south India and other parts of the world could conveniently visit the Union Territory,” Modi said.
Though the coastal towns of Daman and Diu are part of the same union territory, they are located nearly 700km apart. While Daman borders south Gujarat, Diu is on the Saurashtra coast in western Gujarat. Both are popular beach resorts.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi flags off the first flight connecting the Union Territory of Daman and Diu with Ahmedabad under the Udaan Scheme yesterday.
