Tamil Nadu: DMK’s growing popularity draws criticism

Speaking at the event to lay the foundation for the Thanthai Periyar Public Library and a Science Centre at Anuparpalayam in Coimbatore, Stalin said he was not bothered by the criticism because he was only committed to serve the people by implementing the DMK’s welfare schemes that were integrated with the lives of the people.

Delighted over the ‘comeback’ of the Minister in charge of Coimbatore, V Senthil Balaji, overcoming the hurdles thrown on his way in effectively implementing the government welfare schemes, the Chief Minister announced a slew of new projects for Coimbatore, including the setting up of a world class Gold Industrial Park at the Kurichi Industrial Estate bowing to the demand made by a the leaders of the gold industry on Tuesday.

Within 24 hours of a delegation, representing the entire gamut of associations and trade bodies of goldsmiths and others associated with the bullion markets, jewelry making, marketing and so, calling on him the demand for the exclusive industrial park, Stalin announced that the complex with all modern facilities, including a NABL recognized laboratory, would be set up at a cost of Rs 126 crore.

For the public library, for which he laid the foundation on Wednesday, too, he said the inauguration would be held in January, 2026, reeling out list of projects that were completed on time by his government like the Kalignar Centenary multi-specialty hospital in Chennai, Kalaignar Centenary Public Library in Madurai, a modern arena for Jallikattu in Madurai and the Keeladi museum.

Among the other new schemes announced for Coimbatore is yet another three million square feet IT park on the lines of the Ramanujam IT township in Chennai. It would come on a 17.17 acre land near the newly opened IT park and provide jobs for 3600 people, besides becoming a landmark of Coimbatore, he said.

Rest of the schemes include a 5 km long over bridge between Chiniampalayam and Neelambur at cost of Rs 600 crore, fencing at Thondamuthur for Rs 7 crore to prevent elephant intrusion, 3 different drinking water schemes for the benefit of several villages and converting the mud roads of Coimbatore city into asphalt covered roads.

Stalin said he believed in meeting people, knowing their needs personally and devising schemes accordingly and that the DMK was behind the rapid progress of the State on all fronts, emerging as the second most economically developed and most urbanized State having 20 percent of the top educational institutions having a 48 per cent share in registration of industries.

When the DMK was launched, its founder C N Annadurai had said that the ‘North was growing and the South was waning’ but now it had been reversed by the DMK governments with the South providing for the North, he said adding that the DMK needed the power to govern only because it had a mission to put its vision into action.

Looking back, Tamil Nadu was lagging behind north Indian States 50 years ago but today it had eradicated poverty, hunger and gender inequality and has become the top State for quality education, employment prospects, equal opportunities, infrastructural facilities, industry, economic index, peace, medicine, people’s welfare, consumption and production, he said.

Stalin recalled the old schemes for Coimbatore devised by the DMK governments that had contributed to the progress of the city like India's first agriculture University and integrated water supply schemes for Coimbatore and Siruvani.