Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Monday said the Budget was a complete example of the ‘Dravidian Model’ ideology.
“When asked about the meaning of the Dravidian Model, I said it was an inclusive growth model. The Budget remains an example of the ideology of this model,” he said in a statement.
A Budget was not meant only for the financial year for which it was presented, but was also a guide for the subsequent years. In that sense, the Budget for 2023 had schemes that would ensure livelihood for all sections of society for many generations, he said.
Recalling the DMK’s election promise that ₹1,000 will be given to woman heads of families, Mr. Stalin said the government needed time to set right the administrative and financial irregularities of the “dark period of the erstwhile AIADMK government” before making the announcement.
“Now, we have made the important announcement, and the government has allotted ₹7,000 crore as the first instalment. It is a revolutionary scheme that will bring change to the lives of women in the State,” he added.
He said the objective of various schemes announced in the Budget was to ameliorate the condition of women, students, youth, people living on the margins of society, and the future generation.
“We describe all these schemes and projects in a single phrase – Dravidian Model. The Budget has proved that it [the current regime] is not a government of a party. It is a government of a race and ideology,” he said.
Reacting to AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami, who said the Budget was a “night fly”, Mr. Stalin said the Opposition leader was not able to understand the contents of the Budget.
“The Budget shines like the Rising Sun, and the night flies will be scorched by its heat,” he said.
The Chief Minister said that if the financial health of the State was good, the government would have come out with many more development schemes.
He thanked Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan and Finance Secretary N. Muruganandham, and called upon Ministers and officials to work hard to ensure that the benefits reached the people.
