The previous AIADMK regime made tall claims about schemes but the DMK Government believed in implementing them, said Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin here on Tuesday.
Mr. Stalin was speaking at a function organised at Pollachi Town to inaugurate a new bus stand, more classrooms at a girl’s higher secondary school and drinking water schemes for Pollachi, Kurichi and Kuniamuthur municipalities and Kinathukadvu panchayat.He laid stones for new schemes, besides handing over welfare assistance to beneficiaries and revolving fund for Self-help groups to the tune of Rs. 259.91 crore.
Reacting to an advertisement claiming that the schemes were announced by the AIADMK Government in 2004, Mr. Stalin said the AIADMK that remained in power till 2006 made no efforts to implement the scheme. The DMK that came to power in 2006 allocated funds and ensured speedy implementation.
“Why these water supply schemes were not implemented,” he asked. “The DMK Government allocated funds in 2006, started the work in 2007 and launched them in 2009. I leave it to the people of Pollachi to assess the functioning the Government.”
The Ramanathapuram district drinking water supply scheme with River Cauvery in Tiruchi as source, has been implemented at an outlay of Rs. 616 crore, laying pipelines for 400 km, in a record time of two years. Whenever AIADMK came to power it used to dump the schemes of the previous Government. But the DMK never resorted to such practices.
“It was the DMK regime that made the noon-meal workers permanent employees though they were appointed by late Chief Minister MGR.”
The AIADMK Government has provided only Rs. 1,644 crore to SHGs, whereas DMK has already allotted Rs. 4,188 crore to make women of the State independent and self-reliant. Mr. Stalin promised to upgrade the Pollachi Taluk Hospital into District Hospital soon. Among those who spoke included Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare S. Gandhiselvan, Rural Industries and Animal Husbandry Minister Pongalur N. Palanisamy, MLAs Kovai Thangam and M.N. Kandaswami, former Minister M. Kannappan and Coimbatore District Collector P. Umanath.