With minutes to go for the Election Commission’s poll announcement, the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Friday passed the Vanniyar’s Reservation Bill. It provides 10.5% internal reservation to Vanniyars within the Most Backward Classes category. The reservation has been a key demand of AIADMK’s ally the PMK in the run up to the polls.
“There had been consistent representations from the Most Backward Class of Vanniakula Kshatriya for providing separate reservation for them in admission to such educational institutions and in appointments or posts in the services under the State as they could not compete with the other castes and communities included in the list of Most Backward Classes and Denotified Communities so as to get their due and legitimate share of such reservation benefits. The Chairman of the Tamil Nadu Backward Classes Commission examined the demand made by various communities to provide for internal reservation within Most Backward Classes and Denotified Communities for various categories and recommended to the Government that internal reservation may be given for three categories, namely, Most Backward Classes (V) -10.5%, Most Backward Classes and Denotified Communities - 7% and Most Backward Classes - 2.5%,” states the Bill.
On Friday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami earlier addressed the media, reiterating schemes made by his government. Looking back at how his government came to power, EPS said he was from an ordinary agricultural family and fought attempts by the DMK and other leaders to stop him from becoming the CM.
The Chief Minister listed his recent announcements including farm loan waiver, providing three phase electricity for farmers and waiving jewellery loans of cooperative banks upto six sovereigns.
Denying accusations made by the DMK President over copying the opposition’s ideas, the Chief Minister said, “MK Stalin has been alleging that I am doing things only after he is saying them. However, people who are not in the government can say anything, but the government should get an estimate, announce and then implement it.” “I'm from a farmer family so I know the difficulty and I’m implementing based on that,” he added.
Responding to accusations of announcing schemes that cannot be implemented, EPS defended his government’s performance. “There has always been a fiscal deficit, even Stalin has admitted that there was a deficit in 2011. Now, the estimates have increased and hence the deficit has increased too. All the states in the country have debts but implementation of schemes is more important. But our GDP is still good. Stalin had admitted that the debt was around 1 lakh crore in 2011 when they lost power,” said EPS answering questions on the increasing debt of the government.
EPS said, “Stain has been alleging that I only announce schemes and don't implement them but that is not true. All the tenders take place according to the protocols of the World Bank. We are giving e-tenders so there is no place for corruption. Most of the tenders are called only after World Bank's acceptance so the allegations are false. Everything is transparent here”.
The Tamil Nadu CM said that 304 new industries have come to the state generating 10 lakh jobs. He added that several investments were also made in the state even during the time of pandemic which did not happen in any other state. “Hence increasing the retirement age to 60 will not affect the employment opportunities for youngsters in Tamil Nadu, there is a lot of employment opportunities here,” EPS said over the government’s move to increase the age of retirement from 59 to 60.