Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami on Thursday said that his state is the only one in the country logging 8% gross domestic product (GDP), with agriculture and factories operating to near full capacity. He also said that even during the COVID-19 pandemic period, Tamil Nadu got the highest amount of fresh industrial investments and it is the only state to have started the largest number of new factories in the country.
Palaniswami was speaking at a government function in Salem district after inaugurating various completed projects and laying the foundation stone for new projects.
He said Tamilnadu Magnesite Ltd on Thursday restarted its mining operations in Salem district after it was stopped in 2018 for want of permission from the Union Ministry of Environment. After getting the necessary permissions, the mining activity has restarted providing direct employment opportunity to 534 workers and indirect employment to about 2,000 persons. He said 70% of India's magnesite is in Salem district and the product is used in iron and chemical industries.
Apart from raw magnesite, Tamilnadu Magnesite also makes lightly calcined magnesite, dead burnt magnesite and dunite.
Palaniswami, taking a dig at DMK President M K Stalin, said the latter cannot sleep without thinking about him at least once in a day. "Wearing gloves, spectacles inside a room, Stalin has been issuing media statements. Will virus come there? Did he come out? It is only AIADMK that works for the people," Palaniswami said.
Issuing a media statement daily, Stalin can become a 'statement hero’ but his DMK party will not work for the welfare of the people, Palaniswami added. Tamil Nadu is set to become the battlefield for the state assembly elections in 2021 and political leaders have already begun campaigning across the state. Party leaders, Edappadi Palaniswami and MK Stalin meanwhile have been taking jibes at each other, pointing out flaws in leadership and efforts taken to help people.