No compromise with Centre on rights and welfare of Tamils: Palaniswami

'Agriculture is top priority and a second green revolution in Tamil Nadu is gaining momentum', said CM Palaniswami

On the last day of the election campaign in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday, under a scorching sun in Salem, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami spoke to T E Narasimhan on his party's (AIADMK's) alliance with the BJP, the state's economy, and what he thought of the Centre's policies. Edited excerpts:

How many seats are you confident of winning in the Lok Sabha and in the (state assembly) bypolls?

All. We have the blessings of our mentor (late J Jayalalithaa). The people welfare schemes we continue to implement and the mega alliance will also ensure our victory. I have travelled for 26 days and been on the road for 350 hours, covering around 8,000 km. I can see people supporting us with their bright smiles in this journey. 

Will this election be the key for your next term? 

Definitely. Our government will continue for the next term. 

What are the key issues?

People’s expectations are high. We try to meet these by implementing several welfare schemes. You can expect many more people-centric schemes in the future. All efforts will be taken to improve all sectors of the economy, so as to reach the first position among states.

What role do you want to play in Delhi?

We want to defend the rights of Tamil Nadu and ensure its due share from Centre-sponsored schemes, while supporting the Centre to build a strong and developed nation.

Do you think Prime Minister Modi should get a second term?

I see him as an energetic person who has a vision for India. 

The general perception is that his BJP government did not do much for Tamil Nadu in key issues.

We strongly believe the BJP can build a strong, developed and secured nation, in a better way. Only for this reason did we join hands with them. At any point of time, we will not compromise with the Centre if anything affects the rights and welfare of Tamils. (Arch-rival) DMK used its nexus with the Centre (when in power) for strengthening their business interests. Our priority is the welfare of our state and Tamils.

How do you see the Centre’s policies?

Their policies and schemes are really good, aimed at improving the livelihood of rural and urban population. The PM’s policies will take India to a new height, commanding recognition in the global arena.

How do you see the Opposition alliance in TN? Who is your main rival, DMK or Dinakaran’s AMMK?  

The Opposition alliance is a strange one, people with contradictory ideals, and a weak one. Stalin (DMK chief) announces (Congress chief) Rahul Gandhi as PM candidate but one of their alliance partners, the Communist party in Kerala, vows to defeat Gandhi. 

He (Rahul) announced in Karnataka that if his party comes to power, it will allow building a dam in Mekedatu. This is against the interest of Tamil Nadu. How can Stalin be in alliance with them?

Vaiko (MDMK chief), who was fervently speaking against the alliance with the Congress in the wake of the Eelam (Lanka) issue is now keeping mum. Thirumavalavan (VCK head) has to clarify on what basis he is with the Congress, recalling what he had accused the Congress of having done. As for the AMMK, I do not consider it a party. 

Some Cabinet ministers were allegedly involved in various scams. Will it affect the election outcome?

No. Allegations and brickbats are common to people in public life. They are thrown at us with an intention to tarnish the image of the government. This will not change the mindset of people and will not affect the victory of the AIADMK alliance.

Will the Salem-Chennai project halt, Sterlite, Sivakasi and other issues (all hit by court orders) be road blocks? 

No. We are law-abiding citizens. We respect the law of our country and sentiments of the people. We respect the judgements and will ensure the rule of law prevails all the time in Tamil Nadu.

How do you see the growth of Tamil Nadu's economy?

We have taken several steps to improve it — the state environment policy, e-gover­nance policy, eco-tourism policy, etc.

Labour unrest and unionism is growing in the state. Foreign direct investment is also dropping here, while the state’s neighbours are seeing an uptake.

There is no major labour unrest. That is why investors are interested to invest in Tamil Nadu. Beside the infrastructure, surplus power and abundant technically qualified manpower. Our Global Investors Meet this year had attracted Rs 3 trillion (of investment promises) in 304 units, which will create at least a million jobs in the state.

As a part of a Business Reforms Action Plan, for ease of doing business, an integrated online Single Window Portal has been launched. It enables industries to get required pre-establishment and pre-operation clearances and renewals across 11 departments and agencies. Through this portal, 37 services of various departments are made available to investors, without any human interface. These activities have encouraged investors to come here.

What about agriculture?

Agriculture is top priority and a second green revolution in Tamil Nadu is gaining momentum. We have been asking the Centre to connect the Cauvery and Godavari, mentioned in the BJP's manifesto. My first responsibility is to implement the Godavari-Cauvery linking project. 

By introducing strategies like collective farming of consumer preferred crops and specific innovation in crop technology, we have enabled Tamil Nadu to be on a high growth trajectory. The state is also taking initiatives to safeguard Cauvery water and ground water. The Kudimaramathu scheme, introduced by this government to desilt water bodies, has been well taken by the people and the desilted soi used to improve soil fertility. We have also approved a Rs 2,000 crore food park and a Rs 900 crore project for a livestock park, which will be Asia's largest. 

Your vision for the state? What is the action plan to achieve it? 

All efforts will be taken to improve all sectors of the economy, so as to reach the first position among states. I strongly believe that this is possible by micro-level planning and close monitoring of the implementation part.