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Tamil Nadu chief minister and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) general secretary, J Jayalalithaa, has said Tamil Nadu is ahead of Gujarat in various factors, answering to the criticism of BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate and Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi that AIADMK and DMK had not considered the welfare of the state while Gujarat was excelling in various sectors.
Speaking to voters in Krishnagiri, she asked whether the BJP would promise the Rs 6,500-crore required for the projects linking rivers in the state if they come to power at the Centre.
Refuting the statement of Modi during his two-day meeting in Tamil Nadu that AIADMK and DMK were not thinking about the people of the state, she said, “AIADMK is the only party which always thinks about the people.”
Following this, she said Tamil Nadu is third in terms of high GSDP while Gujarat is fifth. In terms of FDI inflows, Tamil Nadu saw an inflow of Rs 15,252-crore during 2012-13, whereas it was a meagre Rs 2,676 crore in Gujarat during the same period, she said. There are around 36,996 industrial units in Tamil Nadu whereas it is 22,220 units in Gujarat. There are around 1.59-million labourers in Tamil Nadu, while Gujarat it is only 1.05 million. During 2011-13, Tamil Nadu registered 161,732 units in MSME, it was only 120,014 units in Gujarat. In terms of food grain production, Tamil Nadu has produced 10.15 million metric tonne in 2011-12 while it was 8.87 million metric tonne in Gujarat. During 2013-14, Tamil Nadu has produced 10.3 million metric tonne food grains, she added.
“Many such areas show that Tamil Nadu is ahead of Gujarat,” she said.
Commenting on Modi’s remarks on the need for river-linkage programme proposed by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, she said, while Vajpayee has only spoke about this, AIADMK has initiated steps for such projects.
She alleged that a Rs 4,000 crore project and a Rs 1,852 crore project was being denied by the Congress-led government at the Centre.
“If the BJP comes to power at the Centre, will it commit on Rs 6,500 crore for Tamil Nadu for the river-linking projects?” she asked. If the water problem in the state has to be addressed Mahanadi, Godavari and Cauvery have to be linked.
“Will BJP take the responsibility for the project? At least would it be able to ensure supply of adequate water from Cauvery, which has to come to Tamil Nadu?” she asked.
The state government has so far spent Rs 2,880 crore for drinking water projects, and various joint drinking water schemes have been initiated by the government, she added.
Interestingly, DMK leader MK Stalin too had refuted the claims of Modi simultaneously.
