Jaya urges PM to release funds promised by Centre

Calls on PM Modi amid buzz the BJP was eyeing her party's support in RS

Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa today called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid buzz the BJP was eyeing her party’s support in Rajya Sabha, where the NDA doesn’t have a simple majority.

During her meeting, the chief minister raised issues ranging from sharing of diesel price burden, investment proposals, release of state’s allocations from the Centre and the issue of Sri Lankan Tamils.  

“The meeting lasted for 50 minutes and was useful. Hope it will be rewarding,” said Jayalalithaa, who has submitted a 27-page memorandum, in which she requested the Prime Minister to withdraw the previous government’s nod to allow 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail.

“The Prime Minister promised he would look into the memorandum and will take actions immediately,” said Jayalalithaa, who also met President Pranab Mukherjee and FM Arun Jaitley.

Dismissing reports stating the CM would press for a special financial package in return for supporting the NDA in the House, Jayalalithaa said: “I stressed the PM to release the money promised by the Centre.”

Since 2010, whatever the Centre announced had not actually been delivered to Tamil Nadu, she alleged.

“Under the reduced Central Sales Tax (CST) regime, the state is yet to receive Rs 7,039 crore compensation from the Centre,” the chief minister claimed. According to her, the Centre is yet to refund more than Rs 4,000 crore under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and other schemes.

“With no refunds, we are in a difficult fiscal situation. That is why I stressed these should be immediately reimbursed,” she said.

Jayalalithaa also stressed the PM on the formation of the Cauvery Management Board and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee for the implementation of the final order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal. She also asked the government to expedite the nomination of a representative from the Central Water Commission in the Supervisory Committee to supervise the raising of water level to 142 ft of the Mullaiperiyar dam according to the judgment of the Supreme Court dated May 7.

For the  modernisation of Cauvery Basin canal system, she sought Rs 11,421 crore funds from the Centre.

Jayalalithaa also said India should sponsor a resolution in the United Nations condemning the genocide in Sri Lanka.

The state also asked the Centre to support infrastructure projects, including urban services, metro rail, transport and industrial infrastructure.

On the power sector,she said, Centre should allocate 15 per cent share of unallocated power totalling 450-Mw from the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant andl also from Neyveli Lignite Corporation projects and Vallur projects.

She also stressed the Centre should support the creation of an intra-state ‘Green Energy Corridor’ by providing a grant of Rs 2,250 crore towards transmission schemes for evacuation of a portion of solar energy.

Issues pertaining to agriculture insurance, food security, modernisation of the police forces, declaration of Tamil as an official language, protecting the interests of poor; rural students, particularly from the scheduled castes, grant of the digitally addressable system licence for the Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable TV Corporation were the other issues raised by her.