South Tamil Nadu is being ignored: TMC leader Peter Alphonse

Tirunelveli: The Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) leader, S. Peter Alphonse charged the state and central governments of neglecting the southern districts. Speaking to media persons here on Saturday, the former Congress MLA, who is now the deputy president of TMC, said developmental projects like the Sethusamudram project, Nanguneri special economic zone and the Gangaikondan IT park have been put in cold storage, adding, neither the Tamil Nadu nor the union government bothered to find means to implement these projects without affecting the people’s sentiments.  

The TMC leader too criticised the State government for its lethargy towards taking up the construction work for the Udangudi super critical thermal power station in Thoothukudi district.

Further, Peter Alphonse alleged that the state government for the past three years has done nothing to encourage wind developers in the southern regions of Ayikudi, Kayathar and Muppanthanl regions extending in the three southern districts of Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Kanyakumari districts.

Alphonse suggested that the ‘Thoothukudi-Ernakulam highway connecting two ports in Tamil Nadu and Kerala through Tenkasi and Shengottai, be taken over by the National highways authority of India (NHAI) so that the two-lane road could be upgraded into four lanes, enhancing smooth flow of goods between the two states. It will also be of great help to the tourists coming to Courtallam,’ he added.

If the governments remain complacent towards the projects for the development of the southern districts, the TMC deputy president said that his party would not hesitate to launch a mass movement against the government.