Tamil Nadu got lots from Centre, will get more: PM

Rameswaram: Launching, literally the BJP's Tamil Nadu Yatra, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday stressed that the State had received liberal allocations from Central projects and more would follow. For instance, the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana to provide easy credit to young entrepreneurs had disbursed '4 lakh crore to eight crore people across the country. “Of these, '1 crore was for Tamil Nadu youth. Creating New India is not possible without Tamil Nadu, so we are helping the state in all aspects”, Modi told a public meeting here shortly after inaugurating the Abdul Kamal memorial.

The PM had a word of appreciation for the performance of Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami seated on the dais but then had a rider to it — saying he is “happy that the CM is carrying forward the Centre’s various schemes”.

Thirty three cities and towns of Tamil Nadu have been allotted Rs 4,700 crore under the Amrut Mission, which aims to create basic amenities such as safe water, public lighting and sewage. The places include Rameswaram, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Tuticorin and Nagercoil, the PM said.

There were other goodies too for TN, such as massive Central help for the state's plan to build free homes for eight lakh poor families. “Send your proposal to us and we will sanction the funds from the PM Awaz Yojana”, he said, literally adopting the State's scheme under his wings.

But the most significant piece of PM's bounty was the ambitious Central project to elevate the livelihood and eliminate the risk of Lankan punishment for the state's fishermen by getting them to replace their catamarans and mechanised boats with deep-sea trawlers, in stages. Chief Minister Palaniswami, who spoke before the PM, appeared visibly elated while explaining that the Centre would subsidise 50 per cent for the trawlers, each costing about Rs.80 crore. The state would pitch in with 20 per cent of the cost while the Pandya Gramin Bank would take care of 20 per cent, leaving the fishermen only ten per cent of the cost to bear.

With the Bay of Bengal stretching into the vast Indian Ocean, the introduction of deep-sea trawling to replace their low-yielding boats and catamarans that often got them to poach in the risky Lankan waters in the Palk Straits, would elevate the lives of the TN fishermen significantly in the coming years. The project could also earn the BJP the goodwill of estimated two million fishermen families down the long TN coastline - provided the saffron party can galvanise its party units now in deep slumber in the Dravidian state.  

Both Modi and Kalam karma yogis: Venkaiah

Rameswaram, July 27:  NDA vice-presidential candidate M. Venkiah Naidu Thursday described both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former President APJ Abdul Kalam as 'karma yogis' (selfless workers), committed to the growth of the country.

“Kalam and Modi are great 'karma yogis' (selfless workers) dedicated to the development of the nation,” Venkaiah said in his welcome address at a function after the inauguration of the memorial of late 'Missile Man' Kalam. He said Modi was “the worthiest person” to open the memorial of the former president simply because the PM stays in MODI-mode for “Making of Developed India (MODI), while Kalam dreamt of a developed India.”

Paying rich tributes to Kalam, he said the scientist was the soul of India. A great scientist and an architect of the rocket project, from a small town, he became the President of India. Venkaiah also hailed late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and said two great souls — one Abdul Kalam and the other 'Puratchi Thalaivi' (revolutionary leader) J. Jayalalithaa. “God has taken away the two great souls from Tamil Nadu,” he said.

Recalling his discussions with Jayalalithaa as Union minister after he was made the coordinator for the memorial project, Venkaiah  said she was kind enough to immediately allot the land for the project. She had also felt it was necessary to have such a memorial for Kalam, he added.