VELLORE: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Sunday said that it was a proud moment for him, a farmer, to be addressing the massive gathering of farmers during the election campaign at KV Kuppam in Vellore district.
Palaniswami said that only AIADMK can make a farmer the Chief Minister of a State, whereas DMK practises dynasty politics. MK Stalin is DMK president now, and already, his son Udhayanidhi Stalin has been announced as the Youth wing secretary to take up the family baton.
While canvassing for votes in favour of MP candidate AC Shanmugam, who is contesting on AIADMK ticket in Vellore parliamentary constituency, Palaniswami said that AIADMK government has introduced a lot of welfare schemes for farmers.
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Water conservation has become essential for farming activities and to ensure that no drop of rainwater is wasted, the government has appointed five retired engineers and three supervising engineers to plan for construction of check dams wherever necessary in the State.
The construction of check dams will also ensure increase in groundwater. “We have allocated a fund of Rs 1,000 crore for the project, with Rs 600 crore-worth works currently underway,” Palaniswami added.
Under Kudimaramathu scheme, a Government Order (G.O) was prepared to desilt 1,829 lakes at an estimated cost of Rs 500 crore as part of the third phase.
Earlier, 1,519 lakes were desilted at a cost of Rs 328 crore and 1,511 lakes are being desilted in the first and second phases respectively, the chief minister said.
In response to DMK president MK Stalin’s statement that Vellore election was rescinded because of a conspiracy, Palaniswami said that the election was cancelled because crores of money meant to be distributed to voters, was seized from a DMK party member’s place. The I-T department raid was not conducted at places related to AIADMK because it did not have bundles of money, Palaniswami said.