"Tall claims...": AIADMK slams central govt welfare schemes in Tamil Nadu

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 7 (ANI): AIADMK National Spokesperson Kovai Sathyan raised doubts over the facts and figures of the central government-sponsored welfare schemes and beneficiaries in Tamil Nadu and dismissed them as "tall claims."
AIADMK's Kovai Sathyan alleged that since the DMK came to power in the state, the beneficiaries of the central government's schemes have not been 'genuine.'
He was speaking about the newly constructed Pamban railway bridge, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a day earlier.
"We welcome anyone who brings in welfare measures and benefits for the state as well as for the people, but what is surprising is the tall claims made by the Prime Minister on the concrete houses and the piped water connections. Since DMK came to power, all the beneficiaries have been fake. In all the central government-sponsored schemes, beneficiaries are not the real ones. They are all cooked up beneficiaries. Money worth crores and crores have been swindled," Sathyan told ANI.

"If an investigation were to take place in the right direction, the real culprits would be behind bars. I'm not sure why the BJP is turning a blind eye towards it," Sathyan added.
Adding further, he said, "When we were an ally with the BJP, they rejected the metro-2 project Rs 62,000 crore, but our leader took it upon his shoulders and assured us that the project would be taken forward. So, like MK Stalin, EPS (Edappadi K Palaniswami) was not a crybaby. Whatever he could manage of the finances, he did for the welfare of the people, but here, MK Stalin is a crybaby. He needs money to swindle only for himself and his family, not for the welfare of the people."
This comes amid speculation over the revival of the BJP-AIADMK alliance, which came after AIADMK general secretary and former Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami met Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
On PM Narendra Modi's claim on fishermen, Sathyan responded, "The expectations from PM Modi were very high in Tamil Nadu because of his recent Sri Lankan visit. This is a never-ending and perennial problem for our Tamil Nadu fishermen, which needs to be treated with the utmost precaution and priority. They should work out a solution that is feasible for both Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu."
Earlier on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that developing Tamil Nadu's infrastructure is among his government's top priorities and highlighted the various infrastructure and development initiatives that the Central Government had supported in the State.
Addressing a gathering after inaugurating the New Pamban Bridge in Ramanathapuram, the Prime Minister said, "The infrastructure of Tamil Nadu is a top priority for the government. In the past decade, the state's rail budget has increased more than sevenfold. Despite this significant growth, some people continue to complain without justification..."
"Before 2014, only Rs 900 crore were allocated each year. You know who was the 'karta-dharta' of the INDI alliance at that time. However, this year, Tamil Nadu's rail budget has exceeded Rs 6000 crore," the Prime Minister said.
Stating that Tamil Nadu plays a significant role in the journey toward a developed India, or Viksit Bharat, the Prime Minister said, "I believe the country's overall development will improve as Tamil Nadu's potential is realized."
He pointed out that over the last ten years, the National Democratic Alliance government has allocated three times the funds to Tamil Nadu compared to the previous governments' allocations.
Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the New Pamban Bridge, flagged off a train and a ship from the road bridge, and witnessed the operation of the bridge on Sunday.
He inaugurated the bridge in the presence of Governor RN Ravi and Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. It is India's first vertical lift sea bridge.
PM Modi said, "The new train service will improve connectivity from Rameswaram to Chennai and other parts of the country. This will benefit both trade and tourism in Tamil Nadu. New jobs and opportunities will also be created for the youth..." (ANI)