Page 11 - Tamil Nadu Government

Tamil Nadu CM accuses Centre, says govt using UCC to target non-BJP states

'They (BJP-led NDA at the Centre) want to impose the UCC and use it against the non-BJP states. Those opposing it are being threatened with CBI, ED, and IT raids'

Tamil Nadu govt launches tomato sales via fairprice shops to offset prices

Seeking to offset the soaring price of tomatoes, the Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday launched the sale of the precious commodity at Rs 60 a kilo at 82 fair price shops in the city. This initiative would be extended to other parts of the state if required, Minister for Cooperatives K R Periyakaruppan said. The latest move is in addition to the Pannai Pasumai (Farm Fresh) outlets in Chennai, Coimbatore, Salem, Erode and Vellore making tomatoes available at Rs 60 per kilo, he said. The decision to sell tomatoes through the ration shops was made at a meeting chaired by the Minister at the secretariat on Monday evening. Also, the Minister directed the Cooperatives and horticulture department officials to identify the tomato cultivation areas and ensure an uninterrupted supply to the consumers across Tamil Nadu. At the meeting, it was informed that a decline in the arrivals of tomatoes from the neighbouring states triggered a hike in the prices. According to a source in the Koyambedu .

Stalin vows to fight legally as TN Guv dismisses Balaji from Cabinet

Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi on Thursday dismissed Minister V Senthil Balaji from the state Cabinet days after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate(ED) in a cash-for-jobs scam, in a rare move that has escalated the confrontation with Chief Minister M K Stalin. Reacting to the governor's dramatic action, Stalin said he has no authority to dismiss a minister from the Cabinet and that the DMK government would challenge the decision legally. The governor's action also sparked outrage among the non-BJP opposition parties which condemned the dismissal, calling it "outrightly unconstitutional" and "murder of democracy". In an official release, the Raj Bhavan said, "There are reasonable apprehensions that the continuation of V Senthil Balaji in the Council of Ministers will adversely impact the due process of law, including fair investigation that may eventually lead to the breakdown of Constitutional machinery in the State." Senthil Balaji "is facing serious criminal proceedings in a

Cash-for-jobs scam case: TN Guv dismisses jailed minister Senthil Balaji

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi on Thursday dismissed DMK leader jailed minister V Senthil Balaji from the Council of Ministers with immediate effect

Tamil Nadu Minister Senthil Balaji undergoes coronary bypass surgery

Tamil Nadu Minister Senthil Balaji underwent a bypass surgery on Wednesday at the Kauvery Hospital in Chennai, the hospital said

Efforts on to identify train crash victims, Tamil Nadu CM reviews situation

Three survivors of the train accident in Balasore in Odisha have returned to Chennai, even as the Tamil Nadu government is engaged in efforts to identify victims of the mishap but no official report on the injuries or toll pertaining to the state has been received from the Odisha government, Additional chief secretary of the revenue department Kumar Jayant said on Saturday. Chief Minister M K Stalin reviewed the state of preparedness of the official machinery, especially the medical team, in coping with the situation in providing treatment to the injured when they arrive on June 4. "About 250 people have moved from Bhadrak towards the south, particularly Chennai, through a special train today. So anybody who is able to travel has moved. We have not got any report on the death of passengers from Tamil Nadu," Jayant said. At present, efforts are on to identified the bodies, he told reporters in Odisha. "A large number of bodies lay unidentified. We are searching...we don't know where

Omron to establish first Indian medical devices factory in Tamil Nadu

Omron will make devices including blood pressure monitors and will invest nearly 1.3 billion Indian rupees (about $15.7 million) to set up the plant, the sources said, declining to be identified ahead

Stalin rides bullet train in Japan, bats for 'equivalent' service in India

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, who is on an official trip of Japan, on Sunday undertook a 500-km bullet train journey to its capital city Tokyo and said such a service could benefit the Indian citizens as well. He also addressed Tamils living in Japan, while highlighting the link between the Tamil and Japanese languages. On his train journey, he tweeted: "Traveling from Osaka to Tokyo on #BulletTrain; will cover a distance of about 500 km in less than two and a half hours," and shared some related pictures. "A railway service equivalent to #BulletTrain not only in design but also in speed and quality should come for use in our India as well. The poor and middle class people should benefit and their journey should become easier! #FutureIndia," he added. The Chief Minister had earlier embarked on a two-nation official trip of Singapore and Japan to attract more investments to Tamil Nadu. Later in the day, he addressed a meeting of the Tamil diaspora living in Japan and ...

Constitution bench of SC to pronounce verdict on Jallikattu matter tomorrow

The Tamil Nadu government had earlier defended 'Jallikattu' and informed the apex court that there is no cruelty on the bulls in the state

AIADMK urges TN govt to take precautionary measures during temple festivals

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Sunday urged the Tamil Nadu government to take precautionary measures to ensure the safety of devotees when they congregate in large numbers to take part in events such as the Chithirai Festival in Madurai. The leader of the opposition in the Assembly was critical of the DMK regime, stating that because it did not take adequate measures, there had been fatal incidents in the past two years in various places, including the chariot accidents in Dharmapuri and Thanjavur and the five youths drowning during a temple ritual in Madipakkam in the city last month. Observing that over 10 lakh people gather to witness Lord Kallazhagar enter the Vaigai river in Madurai district during the Chithirai festival every year, Palaniswami claimed that during the AIADMK rule precautionary measures were taken with the support of the police force so that even minor incidents would not take place. However, during the Chithirai Festival held on May 5, 2023,

Non-leather footwear maker Pou Chen to invest Rs 2,302 cr in Tamil Nadu

The MoU is expected to generate jobs for over 20,000 people in the non-leather footwear sector in the state over a span of 12 years, especially for youth and women, in and around Kallakurichi District

25 startups keen on signing MoUs with Centres of Excellence: TN govt

As many as 25 startups have evinced interest to sign memorandums of understandings with the Centres of Excellence that were inaugurated by Chief Minister M K Stalin, the Tamil Nadu government said on Sunday. The startups under the state government's 'Olir' (shine) initiative would be able to grow faster by utilising the state-of-the-art multi-sector Industry 4.0 Centres of Excellence at 'optimal costs' which has been established by the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) and Tamil Nadu Startup and Innovation Mission (StartupTN). Stalin had inaugurated the three Centres of Excellence -- Tamil Nadu Smart and Advanced Manufacturing Centre (TANSAM), Tamil Nadu Centre of Excellence for Advanced Manufacturing (TANCAM) and Tamil Nadu Advance Manufacturing Centre of Excellence (TAMCOE) -- in 2022. These specialised institutions offer startups with the know-how to accelerate their design, prototyping and development testing. At an event held recently, nearly 250 chief ...

Multi hazard early warning centre based on WMO plane on the anvil: TN govt

As part of disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness initiatives, networks including those for lightning and landslide detection and seismic observation would be established with real-time data acquisition platforms, the Tamil Nadu government said here on Friday. Unveiling its new TN State Disaster Management Policy-2023, the TN State Disaster Management Authority said the Chennai-based State Emergency Operation Centre would be upgraded into a state-of-the-art "Multi Hazard Early Warning Centre (MHEWC)" and relocated in a new green building. The MHEWC would be based on the WMO (World Meteorological Organisation) framework. The new policy for disaster management was released by Chief Minister M K Stalin. The centre would engage experts in the fields of meteorology, climate science, atmospheric science, hydrological modelling, emergency analysis, data science, information and communications technology, remote sensing and GIS and Web GIS development. The policy document said th

TN govt announces Rs 14,000 cr crop loans for farmers in Agri budget

The Tamil Nadu government will provide cooperative crop loans to the tune of Rs 14,000 crore to farmers in the State during 2023-24, Agriculture Minister M R K Panneerselvam said on Tuesday. During 2022-23, a total of 16.43 lakh farmers were provided crop loans for Rs 12,648 crore through the cooperative department. Also, interest-free cooperative loan of Rs 1,500 crore will be given to farmers for goat rearing, dairying, poultry and fisheries activities, he said while presenting the budget for agriculture department in the Assembly. About Rs 500 crore has been allocated to provide incentive to paddy growers at the rate of Rs 100 and Rs 75 per quintal, respectively, for fine and bold varieties, for the procurement period next year. Millet festivals would be held under the Tamil Nadu Millet Mission to create awareness among consumers and increase the millet consumption. "As the United Nations General Assembly has declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets, it is proposed to

Tamil Nadu revenue deficit down 52%, says budget hailing welfare measures

Financial Minister increases commitment to programmes for women, students and health insurance

Tamil Nadu annual revenue deficit down by Rs 3,000 cr: Finance Minister

The Tamil Nadu government has reduced the annual revenue deficit by about Rs 3,000 crore in the revised estimates of the current year, from about Rs 62,000 crore inherited when the DMK assumed office nearly two years ago, Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan said on Monday. Presenting a tax-free budget for 2023-24 in the Assembly, he said the government's measures have helped to reduce the revenue deficit. "This was approximately Rs 5,000 crore lower than the level of the pre-COVID year of 2019-20," he said. "In accordance with the mandate of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of achieving zero-revenue deficit, the State will adopt a smooth glide path without compromising on our welfare initiatives and developmental priorities," he said. Fall in tax revenue in the previous years was the main reason for the fiscal stress faced by the government at the time of assuming office, he claimed. The State's own tax revenue (SOTR) is estimated to increase to Rs 1,51,870.61 crore in the revise

Tamil Nadu govt presents Budget, says revenue deficit on decline

The Tamil Nadu government on Monday presented its Budget 2023-24 in the Assembly and said reform initiatives have led to a reduction in revenue deficit from about Rs 62,000 crore to Rs 30,000 crore. Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, tabling the Budget said that owing to the unprecedented and difficult reforms undertaken, "we have reduced the annual revenue deficit of around Rs.62,000 crore which we inherited on assuming office (May 2021), to around Rs30,000 crore in the Revised Estimates of the current year." This is notwithstanding the several "massive welfare schemes" that are being implemented during the last two years, he said. Fare free travel for women in State-run buses, breakfast scheme for government school students are among the several schemes being implemented. Even as Rajan began his address, the principal opposition AIADMK attempted to raise issues which led to a din for a while. The Minister announced setting up of a hi-tech 'global sports city' in Chennai, R

No milk shortage in TN says govt, as dairy farmers protest for price rise

As a section of dairy farmers in Erode on Friday emptied containers of milk on the road in a dramatic gesture commencing agitations for a better procurement price, the Tamil Nadu government denied that the protests had caused a shortage of milk anywhere in the State. The dairy farmers are demanding a raise of Rs 7 per litre of milk. Their counterparts in Madurai and other parts of the state too brought along their cows and demonstrated similarly on the roads. Although the state government has denied that there is a shortage of milk, members of the Tamil Nadu Milk Producers' Welfare Association (TNMPWA) president V Rajendran said they would gradually withdraw their supplies to press for their demand to the State government. "The association has sought an increase of only Rs 7 per litre from Rs 35 per litre of cow milk and Rs 44 per litre of buffalo milk," he said. "We had already conveyed this through our memorandum submitted to the government. If it comes into effect, the new pric

Kamal Haasan to campaign for DMK front candidate in Erode on Feb 19

Actor-politician Kamal Haasan will join the Erode East bypoll campaign on Sunday, canvassing for ruling DMK-headed Secular Progressive Alliance candidate EVKS Elangovan. This will be the first time Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) is backing another party in an electoral contest since it has faced all polls, including the 2021 Assembly elections by itself since its founding in 2018. Congress leader Elangovan is pitted against the AIADMK's K S Thennarasu while Seeman's Naam Tamizhar Katchi and actor Vijayakanth's DMDK candidates are also in the fray. According to the itinerary released by MNM here, Haasan will hold campaign meetings in five locations later on Sunday. The Congress candidate, father of Thirumahan Everaa whose death recently necessitated the bypoll, had earlier met Haasan and sought support following which MNM decided to back the former TNCC president. The bypoll result will be seen as an indicator of the DMK government's performance and the electoral battle is bein

People need total decolonization of mind, says TN Governor R N Ravi

It is very pitiful and sad to see people who are in responsible positions still quoting that without the British government, there would not have been development in our country