Work on the Cauvery Integrated Drinking Water Supply Scheme to be implemented at a cost of Rs.1,800 crore to bring water from the Cauvery River to Vellore district would be started soon, according to Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin.
Addressing a public meeting organised by the Vellore district Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam here on Saturday night to explain the salient features of the Tamil Nadu budget 2010-11, Mr. Stalin said an amount for the scheme had already been allocated in the budget for 2010-11. A sum of Rs.616 crore was allotted in the first budget of the current DMK regime for an integrated drinking water supply project for the drought-prone Ramanathapuram district, and drinking water is currently being supplied to the people of the district under the project which has already been completed.
Work on the Hogenakkal Integrated Drinking Water Supply Project for Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts, being undertaken at a cost of Rs.1,829 crore, was in progress. In the last four years, the DMK government had facilitated the setting up of 37 new industries with a total investment of Rs.46,091 crore, providing employment to over two lakhs persons, he said.
Referring to the news of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam candidate losing his deposit in the Pennagaram by-election, the Deputy Chief Minister said that if the AIADMK general secretary continued to refer to the DMK government as “minority DMK government,” then the DMK would refer to the AIADMK as the party which lost its deposit in the Pennagaram by-election. The DMK, he said, was not a party which was started with the aim of capturing power. C.N. Annadurai founded the DMK in 1949 to bring about the total development of Tamil society. The party did not contest the first election in 1952 after the formation of the party. The party contested only in 1957. It got 50 seats in the elections held in 1962, while it came to power in the next in 1967. Though Anna could not live long after he became the Chief Minister to implement his policies, his successor M. Karunanidhi is ruling the State along the path shown by Anna. The DMK had fulfilled all the assurances it gave in the 2006 elections, he said.
S. Jagathrakshakan, Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Durai Murugan, Law Minister and M.R.K. Panneerselvam, Health Minister and P. Karthikeyan, Mayor of Vellore, were among those who spoke at the meeting. R. Gandhi, Ranipet MLA and Vellore district DMK Secretary, presided.
T.A. Mohammed Saqhy, Vellore district DMK presidium chairman welcomed the gathering.
