AIADMK leader and Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Saturday assured that the Kanniyakumari International Container Transhipment Terminal will not be allowed as the people are against the project proposed by the Union Government.
“Since the DMK and its political ally Congress are experts in hoodwinking the people during elections to bag their votes by repeatedly spreading false information, I assure you once again that the Kanniyakumari International Container Transhipment Terminal will not be allowed,” Mr. Palaniswami said while canvassing votes for the AIADMK and the BJP candidates fielded in the district.
The Tamil Nadu Government had already made it clear that any project opposed by the locals would not be allowed in any part of the State.
Since the people of Kanniyakumari were against this project, the government too has decided against allowing the container transshipment terminal in Kanniyakumari.
“The DMK and the Congress, who are experts in fabricating false stories during the elections, have started the false campaign again to hoodwink the people. I appeal to you not to believe this campaign'" he claimed.
BJP candidate for Kanniyakumari Lok Sabha by-election and former Minister Pon. Radhakrishnan, who had vowed to execute this project at any cost, was standing nearby in the campaign vehicle, when Mr. Palaniswami spoke against the project.
The Chief Minister said Kanniyakumari district should elect candidates of the ruling parties at the Centre and the State for better coordination between both the governments and to bring more new projects capable of giving employment to the locals while ensuring holistic development of the district.
“The voters of Kanniyakumari should give Mr. Radhakrishnan, who did a good job when he was the Union Minister, another chance to serve them in a better way.
Since neither the BJP nor the AIADMK had any representative from Kanniyakumari district as MP or MLAs, the delay in executing the government schemes and welfare measures could be felt in the past. None represented your grievances in the Assembly and in the Parliament,” Mr. Palaniswami contended.
Thovaalai
While addressing the voters at Thovaalai, he said the voters should back the AIADMK as Tamil Nadu, under his leadership, had won several Union Government awards for ensuring better roads, water management,100 lakh tonnes of food grain production, superior healthcare facilities, uninterrupted power, quality education, increasing gross enrolment ration to 49% in students’ admission in higher education, organ donation, maintenance of better law and order etc.
According to him, the AIADMK government had retrieved since 2011 over 15,000 acres of land forcibly grabbed by the DMK men across Tamil Nadu between 2006 and 2011.
“The DMK men, even when they are not in power, are threatening traders, hoteliers and the businessmen and conducting ‘kangaroo courts’ even refusing to pay the bill for the food they enjoyed or the product they purchased,” Mr. Palaniswami claimed.
During his electioneering at Panagudi, Mr Palaniswami said his government had started 11 new medical colleges and three veterinary colleges in the past four years.
“We are for the betterment of Tamil Nadu while the DMK has become a ‘private firm’ functioning for the betterment of a family,” he said.
Published - March 28, 2021 10:20 am IST
