Dharmapuri (Tamil Nadu): Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday said the ruling BJP at the Centre has not ‘learnt lesson’ from its continuing electoral rout in Tamil Nadu and accused it of not sanctioning funds for key projects in the state.
Launching the ‘Makkaludan Mudhalvar’ (CM with people) scheme’s extension here to rural areas, Stalin said through it, the government was striving to see that no one has any grievance.
Such committed work for the people is causing jealousy and irritation for the Opposition parties and that is why they are trying to bring a bad name for the state government through ‘propaganda’ and ‘defamation,’ he alleged.
The government is for all sections of the people without any kind of discrimination, like whether they voted for the DMK or not. The same magnanimity cannot be seen in others.
“The union government (BJP) has not learnt lessons from its electoral rout (2024 Lok Sabha polls) and continuous defeats (in previous elections in the state),” Stalin said.
The Centre does not have a “heart to allocate funds” for key projects of Tamil Nadu like the Metro Rail Phase-II in Chennai and it has not implemented any big project in the state during the past 10 years of its rule.
“On behalf of the Tamil Nadu people, I say, they (BJP regime at the Centre) should realise at least now that the Central government should be a regime common to all the people transcending likes and dislikes.” As far as the DMK is concerned, “we are with the people and people are with us; this is the secret of our success and this is the secret of Tamil Nadu’s growth.” Launching the ‘Makkaludan Mudhalvar’ scheme’s extension, he recalled initiatives such as resolving grievances of people narrated in lakhs of petitions and creating a new department ‘Mudhalvarin Mugavari,’ by integrating services including the CM Helpline for redressal of grievances.
So far, from the date of assumption of office on May 7, 2021, 66.25 lakh petitions, out of 68.30 lakh petitions, have been cleared and related issues addressed.
In Dharmapuri district alone, issues detailed in as many as 72,438 petitions have been resolved. All such petitions were submitted by people to government officials, he said.
Going beyond, ‘Makkaludan Mudhalvar’ scheme has already been implemented, under which petitions are received from people in their own towns by conducting camps and issues, are addressed within 30 days.
Issues found in 8.74 lakh petitions, received in such Makkaludan Mudhalvar camps have been resolved. In Dharmapuri district’s urban areas, 3,107 petitions were received and within 30 days, 1,868 representations were addressed.
Since the scheme is beneficial to the people, now it has been extended to rural areas as well. Initially, the scheme was implemented in areas under municipal corporations, municipalities and town panchayats and in village panchayats adjacent to urban localities.
The chief minister also inaugurated, 621 projects completed at an estimated cost of Rs 444.77 crore. Also, he distributed welfare assistance to people marking commencement of distribution of assistance to 2,637 beneficiaries, totally worth about Rs 56 crore.
Stalin’s announcements on new initiatives to be taken up for Dharmapuri district includes improving infrastructure of Harur Government Hospital at a cost of Rs 51 crore, upgrading Harur to a municipality from its present town panchayat status –by adding areas under Mobiripatti and Doddampatti– and setting up a Sub-Agricultural Extension Centre at Theerthamalai.
