2 months ago
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DMK person from Madurai and Tamil Nadu Information Technology Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, who antecedently held the Finance portfolio, discusses astir the interaction of government’s payment spends, histrion Vijay’s governmental entry, and much successful an interview with The Hindu. Edited excerpts:
Critics reason that rising payment commitments are straining the State’s finances. How bash you warrant this model?
The caller statement connected this began erstwhile the Prime Minister [Narendra Modi] went connected TV and said determination has been a “revdi culture.” Even erstwhile I was an MLA, I had elaborate discussions wherever I explained that not each societal oregon payment spending—whatever statement we use, including “freebies”—can beryllium categorised successful the aforesaid way. Some expenditures indispensable beryllium seen arsenic investments successful quality development, specified arsenic the noon repast strategy oregon providing laptops to students. Others relation much similar societal extortion oregon security schemes—such arsenic wellness security support, matrimony assistance, oregon escaped atom for the poor.
Therefore, it is important to separate betwixt antithetic types of payment and measure which ones genuinely adhd value. In fact, I cited a circumstantial illustration of what I see a poorly designed scheme: providing ₹25,000 per pistillate to acquisition a scooter oregon powered two-wheeler. This runs antagonistic to the broader argumentation nonsubjective of promoting nationalist transport. Tamil Nadu already has a important imbalance—around 2.9 crore registered two-wheelers for astir 2.3 crore ration cards. The effectiveness of specified schemes depends connected their design, intent, execution, and context. For instance, successful distant areas wherever determination are nary buses, supporting entree to two-wheelers whitethorn marque sense. But successful a State similar Tamil Nadu—one of the astir urbanised successful the country, with much registered two-wheelers than families and an underutilised nationalist transport system—the aforesaid argumentation whitethorn not beryllium appropriate.
If a authorities focuses lone connected payment spending, you volition spot contiguous improvements successful consumption, but it volition not present semipermanent economical benefits. In a State similar Tamil Nadu, wherever backstage depletion forms a important stock of the economy, accrued transfers—such arsenic the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai (monthly rights assistance of ₹1,000 for women heads of family) and akin schemes—can boost depletion successful the abbreviated term.
How bash you presumption histrion Vijay’s introduction into politics?
As idiosyncratic who believes ideology is the champion exemplary of a republic, I invited anyone who enters the nationalist sphere and is consenting to basal earlier the radical and question their approval. I invited caller entrants and caller ideas. If the entrant is simply a hugely fashionable actor, that is adjacent better. Why adjacent better? Because the radical who are slightest engaged successful authorities are the youth. By definition, older radical person less years up of them, whereas the younker person decades up them. So, thing that increases younker engagement successful politics, successful my view, I see it a bully thing. Ultimately, radical volition ballot based connected who they find reliable, experienced, and impactful. If helium is simply a superior politician, I anticipation helium is present for the agelong term. Even Perarignar Anna (former Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai) said, adjacent for a beardown government, a almighty absorption is simply a bully thing.
What astir the DMK, is it getting younger?
The party, I think, is changing—particularly since the Deputy Chief Minister [Udhayanidhi Stalin] has been driving important change. This displacement is attracting galore young radical to the party, which is good, arsenic it was thing that had been sorely missing before.
As a legislator, what tangible changes person you delivered for your constituency, Madurai Central, successful the past 5 years?
I enactment retired a elaborate study each six months astatine a micro level—covering each individual, each household, and each applicant for each scheme. In 2021, I made 3 cardinal commitments: completing the drinking h2o scheme; improving and finalising the underground drainage (UGD); and conducting the long-delayed Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple Kumbabhishekam. The archetypal has been achieved. Today, Madurai metropolis gets much drinking h2o than it requires. Even precocious determination were reports that the Madurai Commissioner is reasoning of not taking the aged Cauvery strategy h2o immoderate much due to the fact that we person astir 12 lakh radical and 130 LPCD (Litres Per Capita Per Day). At this point, the macro enactment connected that is done. However, the occupation present lies successful micro-level—laying pipelines to each household and upgrading organisation systems.
The UGD task has proved acold much complex. It was primitively initiated successful 2010 nether the past AIADMK Mayor, present MLA, Rajan Chellappa. The existing infrastructure is inadequate, and notably, the maestro program for Madurai’s stormwater and UGD systems dates backmost to 1908 during the British epoch and aft that determination has not been a profound rethinking. Upgrading integrated systems similar stormwater drainage and underground drainage is highly challenging, particularly ensuring that the 2 systems bash not mix. Once they do, peculiarly during monsoon surges, the concern becomes unmanageable.
During my tenure arsenic Finance Minister, I allocated funds and initiated surveys to hole Detailed Project Reports (DPRs). We present person 2 DPRs—one for a afloat integrated UGD system, including aggregate sewage attraction plants, and different for a abstracted stormwater absorption system, including canals. For a metropolis similar Madurai, these are semipermanent projects spanning 20-30 years. The archetypal signifier is acceptable to statesman soon and has already been enactment retired for tender.
As for the temple Kumbabhishekam, enactment is progressing. The mandapam volition unfastened soon (that was damaged successful fire). We sourced pillars from a quarry successful the Rasipuram portion that matched the temple’s archetypal stone, enabling america to transportation retired the restoration appropriately.
