The Governor and the Chief Minister should work together in tandem for the betterment for the State, said Pattali Makkal Katchi leader and MP Anbumani Ramadoss at Coimbatore Airport on November 18.
Talking to presspersons on arrival from Chennai, he said that the functioning of Governor should be apolitical and neutral and should reflect the constitutional post that he holds. He has every right to question the Government and return the Bills but withholding the Bills is not right. The functioning of Governor R. N. Ravi should not stall the growth of the State.
The State government is planning a Global Investors Meet in Chennai on January 7 and 8, Dr. Anbumani said that before luring overseas investments, the State should act to retain the industries that are at present functioning. Fifty per cent of the MSME’s are closed due to yarn price and GST confusions, but the State government’s decision to revise the electricity tariff twice in a year and peak hour tariff has really come as a death blow. He said that reduction of peak hour tariff from 25% to 15% will not suffice and he wanted the complete withdrawal of the peak hour tariff. Without protecting the existing industries, turning the State’s economy into a one trillion economy will not happen.
On the issue of acquiring 2,700 acres land in Cheyyar in Tiruvannamalai district, he said that the farming community was upset at acquiring farm lands. Dr. Anbumani said that 25 km away from Cheyyar, 2,000 acres of government land were lying idle, the State should instead use the land. Tiruvannamalai is a drought prone district and PMK is not against SIPCOT per se but not on agricultural lands. He recalled the Annur SIPCOT’s land acquisition move by the State that was withdrawn after the BJP’s protest call. He said that there cannot be one rule for Annur and another for Cheyyar. He cautioned the DMK government, if the acquisition was not withdrawn, the PMK would stage a series of agitations.
He wanted the Chief Minister to announce in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly that a caste based survey on the lines of Bihar would be carried out. DMK by remaining silent on caste based survey has no locus standi to speak about social justice. He said that in Karnataka, Bihar, Odisha the caste based suvey has been going on and Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Rajasthan have announced it. He said that the PMK would first meet the Chief Minister and then leaders of all political parties on this count. Caste based Census will have to be carried out only by the Centre as per the 1948 Census Act but survey can be carried out by any State government or even a local body as per the 2008 Indian Statistical Act.
On the National Medical Commission’s recent notification on restriction of MBBS seats, he said that he wrote to the Prime Minister on November 4 that medical care should not be population based and it should be need based and subsequently the notification was withdrawn.
On the road accidents, he said that if the State choses prohibition accident rate will come down and said that 400 metre road in Thoppur ghat in Dharmapuri has claimed 1,700 lives and left many without hands and legs but the official machinery has the mindset to do nothing about it.
