Tamil Nadu CM Palaniswami meets PM Modi, discusses Cauvery issue, demands Central funds
Palaniswami urged PM Modi that the Centre should reconsider its decision to introduce NEET in Tamil Nadu while also stressing on the need for immediate central intervention in the appointment of a Cauvery River Management Authority.
In Short
- Palaniswami urged Modi to intervene in the Cauvery river issue.
- He asked Modi that the Centre should reconsider its decision to introduce NEET in Tamil Nadu.
- The CM said he handed over a memorandum to Modi containing various demands for Central help.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami met Prime Minister Narendra Modi today and urged him to intervene in the Cauvery river issue. He also stressed on the need for immediate central intervention in the appointment of a Cauvery River Management Authority and setting up of a Regulatory Committee as part of implementing the Cauvery Water Tribunal decisions.
He urged PM Modi that the Centre should reconsider its decision to introduce NEET examination in Tamil Nadu and exempt the state from it in the interest of students. The meeting comes close on the heels of the meeting former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam had with Modi here last week.
Talking to newspersons after his meeting with Modi, he said exemption should be given from NEET to both government and private medical colleges and government-quota seats in Tamil Nadu.
- Palaniswami urged the Prime Minister to ensure that the finance ministry issue instructions to the insurance companies for quick disbursal of crop loss insurance for farmers affected by the severe drought that has hit the state this year.
- The CM said he has handed over a memorandum to Modi containing various demands of the state for Central help in implementing development schemes.
- The demands included immediate central approval for setting up of an AIIMS hospital in Tamil Nadu, clearance for the Rs 14,500 crore scheme for restoration of the Cauvery bed for which the state government has sent a scheme. This should be implemented as a national scheme, he said.
- Palaniswami said he urged the Prime Minister to instruct the Kerala government not to go ahead with its plans for the construction of check dams across the Bhavani river.
- He also wanted the Centre to advise the Kerala government to accept the Tamil Nadu scheme for diversion of surplus waters from Pamba, Achankoil and Vaippar rivers to prevent them from going into the sea which will be beneficial to both Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
- Palaniswami said the Centre should give a subsidy of Rs 500 crore for a rainwater conservation scheme to be taken up as a people's movement. The scheme involves desilting of rivers and lakes and rain water harvesting programme introduced by late chief minister J Jayalalithaa.
- He said the Centre has allocated Rs 86 crore for fishermen development for which Tamil Nadu government has set apart Rs 200 crore.
- The meeting assumes significance in view of the BJP's efforts to garner maximum support for the NDA candidate in the upcoming Presidential election due in July.
- Replying to reporters' questions including whether his faction would have a tie up with the BJP in the coming local bodies elections, Palaniswamy said nothing political was discussed with the Prime Minister.
- He said he has invited Modi to participate in a function in which Jayalalithaa's portrait is to be opened in the state Assembly and in the grand final celebrations of MGR's birth centenary being scheduled in December in Chennai.
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