Tamil Nadu Governor K Rosaiah today said "serious efforts" were on to bring back Finnish handset manufacturer Nokia to revive its operations and that the state would continue to implement the ongoing welfare schemes, including low cost food chain 'Amma Unavagam'.
"The state government is taking very serious efforts for revival of Nokia plant along with the component manufacturers. Chief Minister deputed a team of officials to Taiwan recently to hold discussions with global companies like Foxconn.
"The issues pending with the government of India have also been taken up at the highest level to facilitate the revival," he said.
In his inaugural address for the 15th Tamil Nadu Assembly after AIADMK was voted back to power for a second consecutive term, the Governor said the government would continue to be led by policy initiatives like 'TN Vision 2023 Document', an initiative launched by the ruling party in its previous (2011-16) tenure.
Rosaiah said the government began implementing poll promises in right earnest immediately after coming to power.
"This government is committed to improving transparency in administration and will establish the institution of Lokayukta in Tamil Nadu through appropriate enactment once the proposed amendments to the Lokpal Act are made by Parliament," he said.
He said that on assuming charge, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on day one waived loans of small and marginal farmers, provided 100 units of free power to domestic consumers and increased gold allocation to eight grams from under 'Thalikku Thangam' scheme for women beneficiaries.
She also increased free power to weavers and reduced working hours of Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC), the state-run liquor retain chain.
The Governor said the welfare schemes under the Amma
brand like Amma Cement, Amma Drinking Water and Amma Salt would continue.
On the power front, he said ongoing projects would be expedited and in the next five years, new power generation capacity of 13,000 MW of thermal power and 3,000 MW of solar energy would be added to the state grid.
Rosaiah said the government would take up implementation of Phase-II of Chennai Metro Rail at the earliest.
"Before 2017-end, services will be commenced in the entire metro (Phase-I) network," he said, adding services between Little Mount to Airport and from Alandur to St Thomas Mount would be inaugurated soon.
On the fishermen's issue, he said the government would continue to urge the Centre to prevail upon Sri Lanka to work out a lasting solution to the problem and also reiterated the government stance that it would continue to strive for retrieval of Katchatheevu.
Similarly, efforts would be made to lift the ban on bull taming sport 'Jallikattu' and get the Mullaiperiyar dam water level raised to 152 feet, i.E the Full Reservoir Level. The government will also strive to get an order from the Supreme Court to constitute Cauvery Management Board and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee, he said.
"This government will continue to seek accountability of those who perpetrated genocide on innocent Tamils in Sri Lanka during the civil war," Rosaiah said.
Unlike on previous occasions, the entire Opposition listened to the Governor's address with rapt attention.
Leader of the Opposition M K Stalin (DMK), his party colleagues and members of his alliance party Congress sat through the 35 minutes address.
(REOPENS MDS4)
The Governor also told the House that it had the "onerous responsibility of ensuring healthy and constructive deliberations setting the highest standard of democracy."
"Conscious of this, I hope that this august Assembly will debate and deliberate on important issues and come out with pioneering development-oriented policies and programmes," he said.
