TN steering India’s growth: PM Modi

COIMBATORE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday lauded Tamil Nadu for its economic performance, and for steering the industrial growth of the nation. He inaugurated a few mega power projects and laid the foundation for several other projects in the State. Modi’s visit assumes significance as it marks the official beginning of the BJP’s election campaign in the run-up to the State Assembly polls.

Terming Coimbatore as a city of industries and innovation, Modi said the infrastructure projects launched at the event would benefit not just the city, but the entire State. The Prime Minister inaugurated a 1,000-MW Neyveli New Thermal Power Project and a 709-MW Solar Power Project of NLCIL. Modi also inaugurated the eight-lane Korampallam Bridge, and a Rail Over Bridge (ROB) at VO Chidambaranar Port, and the tenements constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) scheme.

Stressing that ensuring dignity to every individual is at the core of development, Modi said: “One of the basic ways of ensuring dignity is to provide shelter for everyone. The houses, constructed at `332 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, will be handed over to the homeless.

”Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and Union minister Pralhad Joshi were also present on the occasion. The Prime Minister also paid floral tributes to former Chief Ministers MGR and J Jayalalithaa during the event.

“The 709 MW solar power project was developed indigenously and the cost of this project is over Rs 3,000 crore. Another 1,000 MW thermal power project constructed at Rs 7,800 crore will be hugely beneficial to Tamil Nadu and its neighbouring States,” he said. Modi added that over 65 per cent of the power generated from the plants will be given to Tamil Nadu. The Prime Minister also quoted a verse from Thirukkural, “…Uzhuthundu Vazhvare Vazhvar Matrorellam Thozhuthungu Pin Selbavar”, which roughly translates to ‘farmers lead the way and the rest follow them’.

Speaking about the Lower Bhavani project, he said that it will irrigate over two lakh acres of land, benefitting farmers of several districts in Tamil Nadu. The Prime Minister, besides making a strong developmental pitch for the State, also launched a blistering attack against the Opposition parties, mainly the DMK and Congress, and accused them of misgovernance and corruption.

Call it the evening hues or the many BJP flags that were put up at the premises, the Codissia Grounds in Coimbatore had a saffron shade to it as Modi waved his hands at the massive crowds that gathered there. While some turned up in clothes that matched the party’s colour, a few others took the next step and wore saffron face masks.

DMK promotes strongman culture: Modi

Addressing a massive gathering at Coimbatore’s Codissia Grounds, Narendra Modi said: “Today, the nation is seeing two distinct styles of politics _ the Opposition’s misgovernance with corruption and the NDA’s governance with compassion. Both the methods are very different. For them, what matters is personal gains. They want to capture power to fill their pockets.” “This year Tamil Nadu will elect a new government. The Assembly elections are happening at a critical moment in the history of India.

In the last few years, people have given a strong message that they want a development-oriented government. The only politics they will accept is the one of development and good governance. People want a government, where the fruits of progress reach the poor. They want anti-development elements to be at a distance,” Modi said. Terming the way the Centre and State governments worked together as a classic example of cooperative federalism, Modi said,

“We worked for the welfare of the people of Tamil Nadu. The NDA government has given the top-most priority to small businessmen and farmers here.” Launching a scathing attack against the DMK, Modi said that whenever they came to power, all they did was to promote a strong-man culture. “They have anti-social elements in every district. Their cadre leave no chance to extort money from the public. It is the women of Tamil Nadu who suffer the most in such a culture,” he added.

Recalling earlier instances of how the DMK had treated former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, Modi said: “This shows their attitude towards women. Sadly, the leaders who troubled Jayalalithaa were rewarded by the DMK and Congress.” Stating that the DMK had lost its rights to be called an all-Tamil Nadu party, the Modi said, “The last time they won a full majority on their own in the State was about 25 years ago. Both Congress and DMK are suffering from internal contradictions.

They have been trying to launch and relaunch their first families, but have got no success. There is a continuous family drama in those parties. They are so busy in internal matters that they cannot deliver good governance to Tamil Nadu. In contrast, the NDA family is united. Our aim is only one, the welfare of Tamil Nadu and Tamil people.” On the move to rename the seven sub-sects, Modi said, “The DMK ruled Tamil Nadu for several years, with the Congress in power at the Centre. Yet, these parties were not bothered about the demands of the Devendrakula Vellalar community. It was the AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu and the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre that accepted their long pending demand to be known as Devendrakula Vellalar.”

Developmental track
Applauding Coimbatore’s MSME sector for creating wealth and adding value, he said: “The Government of India has taken many measures to help MSMEs, one such being the emergency credit line guaranty scheme. Under this scheme, almost Rs 14,000 crore have been sanctioned for 3.4 lakh MSMEs across Tamil Nadu. In Coimbatore district alone, almost 25,000 small industrial units have benefited from this scheme.”

The definition of MSME was changed last year, making it more inclusive. In order to help address MSME grievances and finding new opportunity, a specially-dedicated portal called ‘Champion’ was launched. The announcement in this Budget includes MSME specific reforms for faster resolution of cases. Custom duties were also reduced for various steel products, and exemption to steel scraps duty has been granted till March 31, 2022, said Modi.

“We are equally focussed on building the vibrant textile sector. In the last seven years, the Centre has modernised the sector. This year’s Budget made a mention of mega textile park scheme, in which seven such parks would come up in three years,” Modi said. Earlier in a function attended by Governor Banwarilal Purohit, CM Edappadi K Palaniswami, Deputy CM O Panneerselvam and other dignitaries, the Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone for design, supply, installation and commissioning of a five-MW grid connected ground based solar power plant at VO Chidambaranar Port.

He also laid the foundation for the extension, renovation and modernization of Lower Bhavani Project System, and for the development of Integrated Command and Control Centers in nine smart cities, namely Coimbatore, Madurai, Salem, Thanjavur, Vellore, Tiruchy, Tirupur, Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi.

Modi kicks off bjp poll campaign in pondy
Puducherry: Exhorting the people to reject “anti-development forces of Congress”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi commenced BJP’s election campaign in Puducherry on Thursday. After launching a plethora of projects in healthcare, education, sports and marine sectors for the poll-bound Union Territory, Modi addressed a massive public rally. “The wind of change is palpable in Puducherry and the new government here will be the people’s government,” he said. Elaborating on the NDA’s development agenda, the PM said that his alliance will focus on enhancing the education infrastructure in Puducherry