The ₹80,000 crore Cauvery-Godavari river interlinking project will be implemented once the “Amma Government” (AIADMK leaders say they are running a Jayalalithaa government) is formed again, assured the AIADMK leader and Chief Minister, Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Wednesday.
He gave this assurance to the Delta farmers at Thiruvaiyaru while soliciting votes in favour of the BJP nominee for the Thiruvaiyaru Assembly Constituency, S.Venkatesan.
Stating that elevating Tamil Nadu as the best water management State in the country was his ambition, Mr. Palaniswami pointed out that the “Amma Government” headed by him had already succeeded in eliciting the support from the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana governments and also convinced the Union government to accept the proposal mooted by the Tamil Nadu government.
“The Prime Minister had assured that the Union Government will extend support to the project which will augment the irrigation needs of Delta region. Thus, the Cauvery-Godavari river linking project will be implemented after the formation of Amma Government again”, the Chief Minister added.
Once the project is implemented the Delta farmers need not have to rely on the Karnataka government which used to release water into Cauvery river only during the seasons when it received excess rain.
Further, the rejuvenation/restoration of water bodies in the Delta region completed through “kudimaramathu” scheme resulted in better utilization of excess rainwater getting drained into the Bay of Bengal, he pointed out.
Hitting out at the DMK for allowing hydrocarbon projects in Delta region when it shared power at the Centre, the Chief Minister said it was the “Amma Government” led by him that saved the Delta by declaring the region as Protected Agricultural Zone. It was the “Amma Government” which had put an end to the five-decade-long legal battle to establish the State’s right in Cauvery water, he added.
Later addressing the electorates at Papanasam where he sought the peoples’ mandate in favour of the AIADMK nominee K.Gopinathan, fielded at Papanasam Assembly Segment, the Chief Minister criticised the DMK for extending an election promise to waive the farm loans where such loans had already been waived and ‘no due certificates’ issued to the farmers.
While seeking the support in favour of the Moovendar Munnetra Kazhagam candidate for Kumbakonam Constituency, Sridhar Vandaiyar on Two Leaves symbol at Kumbakonam, Mr.Palaniswamy held the DMK responsible for thrusting NEET on the Tamil Nadu students particularly the government school students who constitute 41% of the total number of school students.
“It was the DMK-participated Union Government that brought NEET in 2010. But now the DMK leader says the AIADMK government had failed to protect the medical education aspirants while the truth is it is that the “Amma Government” had protected the interest of government school students by providing 7.50% reservation in medical college admission for government school students”, he said.
‘DMK will vanish’
Moving to Nachiyarkovil to seek votes for the party’s nominee to Thiruvidaimaruthur (Reserve) Constituency, S.Veeramani, a visibly angry Chief Minister did not mince words to counter the DMK president, M.K.Stalin’s reported claim that AIADMK would be wiped out after the forthcoming elections. “I swear that it will be the DMK which will vanish and not the AIADMK”, he said by pointing out that the strength of AIADMK is peoples’ support.
Continuing his tirade against the DMK leader at Kudavasal where he urged the people to return the sitting Nannilam MLA and Food Minister, R. Kamaraj to the Legislative Assembly for the third consecutive time, the Chief Minister claimed that Mr.Stalin could not dream to fool the electorate again like what he did in the 2019 Parliamentary elections.
“A lot of assurances were given by the DMK in that elections and all of them still remain on paper even after the lapse of two years”, he pointed out. But the AIADMK government had bailed out the State from the status of a “blacked out State” with respect to electricity from 2006 to 2011 and made Tamil Nadu a “surplus power generating State” within three years of assuming office subsequently.
Stating that Mr.Stalin was making such comments out of frustration, Mr. Palaniswami said that Chief Ministership is not a product sold in the shops. It was the people to decide who should become the Chief Minister and they have already decided, he added.
Later, the Chief Minister winded up his electioneering for the day after canvassing for the AIADMK candidates Siva.Rajamanickam and A.N.R.Panneerselvam fielded at Mannargudi and Tiruvarur.
