Thoothukudi MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi garlanding the statue of freedom fighter Ondiveeran at the memorial in Tirunelveli on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: A. SHAIKMOHIDEEN
The State Government, which wants to work closely with everyone for the overall development of the State, cannot do so with the BJP-led government at the Centre as it was adamant in not releasing funds due to the State even after getting over ₹1 lakh crore from Tamil Nadu as Goods and Service Tax revenue, MP Kanimozhi has said.
The MP was garlanding the statue of freedom fighter Ondiveeran on his death anniversary along with Speaker M. Appavu on Tuesday.
Ms. Kanimozhi told presspersons that the Union Government had not released Tamil Nadu’s due share of funds under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan scheme, which could be spent for improving the infrastructure in schools across Tamil Nadu. Despite repeated appeals from the State government and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, the Centre was not prepared to fund the second phase of Chennai Metro Rail project although the Union Government collected ₹1.13 lakh crore in 2023-24 through GST and the monthly GST revenue of ₹12,210 crore from Tamil Nadu in April 2024 alone.
When several parts of Tamil Nadu were ripped apart by heavy downpour and consequent floods last year and the State government had been making every effort to assuage the ordeals of the people, the Narendra Modi-led Union Government just remained a mute spectator.
“How can you then expect and say that the DMK is inching closer to the BJP, which is not even ready to mend its adamant and autocratic attitude? How can we be close to the Union government which is not ready to release any fund to Tamil Nadu for development projects,” Ms. Kanimozhi retorted when asked for her comments on the BJP’s encomiums on her father and late Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi in the commemorative coin release function in Chennai recently.
