Jayalalithaa slams DMK chief for harping on Goyal's statement

VRIDDHACHALAM: Punching holes in Union power minister Piyush Goyal’s statement on Tamil Nadu not signing UDAY power scheme, Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa on Monday said her government decided to keep the project away from the state since its features were “not people friendly” especially the clause that mandates restructuring of tariff every three months.  

Addressing a mega election rally here,  she also lashed out at DMK chief M. Karunanidhi for latching on to Goyal’s statement on the scheme, despite two of her cabinet colleagues – Natham R Vishwanathan and S.P. Velumani — explaining in detail on Tamil Nadu’s reluctance in signing the agreement.  

“My ministers gave a detailed statement, but it looks like Mr Karunanidhi did not understand the explanation given by my colleagues. The Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana (UDAY) scheme is not people-friendly. Only private power producers and banks that gave them loans would benefit. The scheme mandates tariff restructuring every three months. This is the main reason why we did not sign the agreement,” she said.

Since Karunanidhi, the AIADMK chief said, is “pretty sure that his party would lose the elections, he is criticising me for disallowing a scheme that would have burdened the common man with increased power tariff.”

Focusing on flood-prone Cuddalore district, the Chief Minister said her government was preparing a master plan to ensure that the district faces minimal problems even if it experiences natural calamities in future.

Jayalalithaa also attacked DMK chief for issuing statements on a few Union ministers calling her “inaccessible”, saying her colleague O. Pannerselvam had issued a detailed statement listing the meetings between me and Union Ministers.

“Union minister M. Venkaiah Naidu had said in Coimbatore that I was always accessible for him. He has also said he has met me twice (after he took over as Union minister). But, still Karunanidhi wants people to believe (what he feels),” she told the huge crowd that had gathered to listen to her speech braving the scorching sun.

Introducing 13 candidates from Vriddhachalam, Perambalur and Ariyalur districts, she listed the development initiatives of her government in the three districts in the last five years.