AMN / NEW DELHI
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin said, his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi today was satisfactory. Speaking to media persons after the meeting, Mr Stalin informed that the Prime Minister assured cooperation and assistance to the state for development.
He said, issues like scrapping of NEET and New Education Policy, early commencement of vaccine production of Chengalpattu Complex and revival of Sethusamudram Project were raised during his meeting with Prime Minister.
Mr Stalin handed over to Mr. Modi a memorandum containing 25 major demands including exempting Tamil Nadu from NEET-based medical admissions and scrapping entrance exams for admissions into other professional courses.
He sought additional allocation of COVID-19 vaccines and drugs for treating patients; establishment of an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Coimbatore and urged for reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the All India quota in medical admissions both in the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The State sought withdrawal of income ceiling to identify backward classes; and amending of the Constitution to enable States to allocate reservation for MBCs, SCs and STs based on the respective State’s caste composition.
The State government reiterated its stand against the Mekedatu dam and sought increasing of the height of the Mullaiperiyar dam, besides underlining its demand for clearing all pending financial and GST dues. The State wanted the Godavari- Cauvery Linkage and Cauvery-Gundarau Linkage schemes to be expedited. The government also sought revival of the Sethu Samuthram Ship Canal Project.
Demands made in TN memorandum
• Release pending 14th Finance Commission grants; GST dues
• Commence vaccine production in HLL Biotech unit in Chengalpattu and Pasteur Institute, Coonoor
• Revoke National Education Policy; release grants under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
• Expedite work on AIIMS in Madurai
• Special Relief Package for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
• Approve Chennai Metro Rail Project Phase II under 50:50 joint venture partnership
• Declare Tamil as Official Language, use Tamil in High Court; declare Thirukkural as the National literature
• Execute Maduravoyal – Chennai Port elevated Road project, Chennai-Airport to Chengalpattu elevated road project, sea bridge project connecting Chennai Port – Thiruvottriyur, 6/8 lane highway project between Chennai and Kanniyakumari
• Expand Thoothukudi port
• Establish a Regional Bench of the Supreme Court in Chennai
• New International Airport with world-class standards at Chennai, declare Madurai’s as international airport, expand airports in Salem and Thoothukudi
• Drop Hydrocarbon schemes and Neutrino project, repeal Draft EIA notification, 2020
• Continue the Intellectual Property Rights Appellate Board in Chennai
• Protect traditional fishing rights of Indian fishermen in the Palk Bay; retrieve Katchatheevu. Establish National Commission for the Welfare of Fishermen
• Remove bottlenecks in the supply of coal; revoke the Electricity Amendment Bill, 2020
• Release of Custom Milled Rice (CMR) Subsidy
• Ensure Tamils in Sri Lanka have equal civil and political rights
• Pass Bill to provide 33% reservation for women in Parliament and State Legislatures
• Amend MGNREGA to provide 150 days of employment
• Launch Urban Wage Employment Scheme
• New Railways Projects for Tamil Nadu