AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami has accused the DMK government of prioritizing unnecessary projects in the name of former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi instead of investing in crucial public welfare schemes.In his statement, Palaniswami criticized the DMK’s lack of sufficient funding for welfare projects initiated during the late Jayalalithaa’s administration, despite being in power for 42 months. He pointed out that significant development projects, such as the Rs 1,500 crore desalination plant project in Koonimedu, Marakkanam union, Viluppuram district, have been abandoned. Additionally, he noted that plans to construct fishing harbors in Alangan Kuppam and near Alamparai Fort at a cost of Rs 235 crore have been cancelled.
The AIADMK leader also mentioned the scrapping of the Jayalalithaa University in Viluppuram, the incomplete Athikadavu-Avinashi scheme, and the stalled project to channel surplus Cauvery water into 100 lakes. He highlighted the halted upper-level canal project of the Jambu River in Tenkasi and the lack of funding for canal work from Twin Lakes to Uthumalai in Tirunelveli. The desilting of the Madurantakam Lake has been delayed for three years.
Palaniswami alleged that while beneficial projects for farmers and the general public have been shelved, the DMK government has been focusing on unnecessary expenditures. He pointed out that Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s government has initiated projects across the state in Karunanidhi’s name, including plans to build a “Kalaignar International Convention Centre” at a cost of Rs 487 crore over 5 lakh square feet in Chennai’s Island Grounds. Palaniswami questioned the justification for such projects when farmers have been protesting for river-linking schemes for years without receiving government attention.
Citing warnings from researchers, Palaniswami stressed that several districts in Tamil Nadu could face severe drought if domestic river-linking projects are not implemented within the next decade. He suggested that if Chief Minister Stalin wishes to name state buildings after his father, such projects should be undertaken by the family’s foundation rather than at the expense of public welfare schemes.
He concluded by urging the DMK government to allocate necessary funds for welfare projects that have been sidelined and ensure that development efforts truly benefit the people of Tamil Nadu.