Chennai: Tamilnadu Chief Minister MK Stalin demanded that the Union government take steps to make Tamil one of the official languages of the country.
His speech was read in the Southern Zonal Council meeting held at Tirupati on Sunday. In the meeting, Minister for Higher Education K Ponmudi participated and read the speech on behalf of Stalin.
Stalin said Tamilnadu was ready to cooperate with neighbouring states and resolve issues in a constructive and amicable manner resulting in mutual benefit.
‘Tamilnadu is a water deficit State and in short of a perennial river flowing through its territory. The farmers toil with the scanty groundwater and uncertain monsoon. Having a large farming population depending on traditional agriculture for ensuring food security, protecting our rights on inter-state rivers is too crucial for our state. We are always ready to cooperate with our neighbouring States and resolve the issues in a constructive and amicable manner resulting in mutual benefit,’ he said.
Stalin said, ‘Solidarity among us is crucial in utilising the limited resources available to us in a judicious manner, and unnecessary litigation and needless conflicts will result in unwanted animosity that may hinder our progress’.
Stalin said railway land should be transferred for the Metro Rail Project on a permanent basis. ‘The transfer must be with full surface rights, without any restriction, when 99 per cent of the market value is charged, as is being done by other Central Government departments/agencies for underground tunnelling work below their land. If the full surface rights are not given, only nominal/token value should be charged for restricted rights. In underground tunnelling, even to a depth of less than 15 metres, only the nominal fee as a track rent should be charged. When the surface is not affected and no surface rights are given, it is totally unreasonable to charge any such amount,’ he added.