‘Some people are bent on ruining TN’

Salem: Chief minister M K Stalin on Sunday said when the government was making all efforts to bring in foreign investments to Tamil Nadu, there was a ‘group’ bent on ruining those efforts.
Speaking at a government function to distribute welfare measures in Salem, Stalin said, “Those who are desperate to ruin Tamil Nadu are demeaning efforts to bring investments to the state.”
This is seen as a veiled attack on Tamil Nadu governor R N Ravi, who had recently remarked that foreign companies would not invest just because the government solicited investments but should create a conducive climate for investments.
Stalin said that only if the merits of the state, development projects being implemented, our vision for growth, and the abundant talent pool in Tamil Nadu are highlighted to global companies, they will come forward to invest here.
“But they are demeaning even that. All that they know is only to demean others,” Stalin said.
“They cannot do anything constructive but can be destructive. That is exactly what they are doing,” Stalin said, adding that he however was not worried about them. “I am not bothered. Let them do whatever they want. I don’t have time to respond to them,” he said.
He said several companies from Japan and Singapore, the countries he visited recently, had operations in Tamil Nadu and are familiar with the state.
“But we had to explain to them that the state has changed now, compared to the 10-year regime of the AIADMK,” he said.
He then blamed the AIADMK for the electricity tariff hike. He charged the AIADMK government with agreeing to the GST and UDAY scheme, resulting in a shortage of funds and frequent electricity tariff revisions.
“They blindly signed at the dotted line shown by the Centre,’’ he said. “Despite all these, we have reduced the revenue shortage in the budget. We also have made announcements for several schemes and projects,” he said.
Stalin said that the DMK government was able to roll out schemes and projects, which would require five years, within two years of coming to power.
During the day, he inaugurated a double-deck bus stand named after former chief minister M Karunanidhi and unveiled a statue of the late CM on Anna Park premises in Salem.
Later in the day, while heading to Mettur, he made a surprise visit to the samathuvapuram at Konur panchayat near Mecheri. He interacted with the residents and inquired about the amenities there. The residents thanked him for renovating the Samathuvapuram at a cost of Rs 47 lakh recently.
Ministers KN Nehru, MRK Panneerselvam and the district collector S Karmegam accompanied the CM. Stalin would release water from the Mettur dam on Monday.