Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin left for the U.S. on Tuesday evening on a two-week official visit. During his trip, he is scheduled to visit San Francisco and Chicago, as part of his mission to get investment proposals for TN.
Speaking to reporters in Chennai airport before boarding his flight, Mr. Stalin said investors have been eager to meet him during his U.S. visit so much so that it appeared to him as if the number of days for his U.S. visit might not be sufficient.
Since assuming office in May 2021, Mr. Stalin had visited the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Japan and Spain to get investment proposals into Tamil Nadu. He said on his return, he would list out the proposals received during his U.S. trip.
To a query over a demand for a White Paper on investment proposals received by Tamil Nadu, the CM said it has not been the tradition and that investors would not want that, since there was competition between States to get their investments. “We would release once we get the investments”.
Due to his earlier visits to UAE, Singapore, Japan and Spain, investment proposals to the tune of ₹10,882 crore through 17 MoUs were received that could generate employmeent to over 18,500 people, he said. Of them, five projects to the tune of ₹990 crore have started production, he said.
During the Tamil Nadu Investment Conclave held on August 21, Mr. Stalin said he inaugurated two of these five projects — one by a Singapore company and another by a Japanese company. Construction work towards three other projects to the tune of ₹3,796 crore that could generate employment over over 1,500 people were in various stages of progress, he said.
Two expansion projects to the tune of ₹438 crore were about to commence operations, he said. As for four projects to the tune of ₹2,100 crore, there has been a “minor delay” due to the scenarios experienced by the respective companies, Mr. Stalin contended but did not name them.
Such visits abroad to attract investments were “significant”, Mr. Stalin said a total of 872 MoUs were signed since the DMK government assumed office in May 2021 that were over projects to the tune of ₹9,99,093 crore that would generate employment for over 18.89 lakh people.
Of them, 234 have commenced production and four lakh people have obtained employment, he said. He said he would monitor the proposals he would receive during his U.S. visit. The CM said he would also meet Tamil diaspora in the U.S.
Ministers, legislators and senior DMK functionaries were in the airport to send off the CM on his official trip.
Wait and see: Stalin on possible Cabinet change
Mr. Stalin chose to keep the suspense over the possible change in his Council of Ministers.
To a pointed query on whether there would be a change in Cabinet on his return from his U.S. trip, Mr. Stalin said after a long pause: “Only change is constant. Wait and see.”
Answering a query on funds due to T.N. from the Central government for Samagra Shiksha, Mr. Stalin reiterated that funds should be released to Tamil Nadu.
When asked about his opinion on the exchange of words between actor Rajinikanth and DMK general secretary Duraimurugan, Mr. Stalin maintained that they were “old friends” and that their remarks should be taken in a lighter vein.
Published - August 27, 2024 11:56 pm IST
