75% of lands in Tamil Nadu will be made cultivable in 10 years: Stalin

SALEM: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday said that his government would work to increase the percentage of cultivable lands in the State to 75 per cent in the next 10 years from the present share of 60 per cent.  Speaking to media persons after releasing water from the Mettur dam, Stalin pointed out that the water from the dam was released on the customary date, June 12, for the second consecutive time since 2001-02.    

The CM further said that the share of arable lands would be increased in line with the seven promises announced during the DMK’s State-level conference in Tiruchi. As part of the policy, the government would also increase the existing ayacut of the Cauvery river. 

He said that a total of 4,061-km-long water ways in nine districts in the Delta region are also being dredged on a war-footing. “We carry out this work after consulting with farmers associations and Special Monitoring Officers have also been appointed,” Stalin said.The Chief Minister promised to release all information on the kudimaramathu scheme to the media, while pointing out that the previous government did not release a White Paper on the project despite repeated demands from the DMK in the Assembly.

When asked about steps taken to demand more water from Karnataka, the Chief Minister said the government had written a letter to the Minister concerned. Meanwhile, Water Resources Minister S Durai Murugan said that a decision on the Cauvery-Godavari interlinking project would be taken after discussion with the Chief Minister. 

Replying to a query on the reopening of Tasmac outlets which was opposed by the DMK while in opposition, the Chief Minister said, “Since the Covid cases have come down in a few districts, we have given some relaxations to those districts. As part of these measures, TASMAC shops were also allowed to open,” he said, adding that the lockdown in the western region was not eased.

‘Tasmacs allowed due to fall in cases’
“Since the Covid cases have come down in a few districts, we have given some relaxations to those districts. Hence, TASMAC shops were also allowed to open” the CM said.