During his first official meeting with Modi after being sworn in as chief minister, Palaniswami submitted a memorandum containing crucial issues relating to the state that require urgent attention of the Centre. "They are important to safeguard the legitimate interests of the state and to propel it on to a faster growth trajectory," Palaniswami said.
"The imposition of NEET will cause grave injustice to students from rural areas and hence approval for the TN bills seeking exemption from NEET may be accorded so that Presidential assent could be obtained at the earliest," the CM said. He also opposed the proposed national pre-veterinary eligibility test for admission to veterinary colleges.
The state had sought financial assistance of Rs 39,555 crore for drought relief and Rs 22,573 crore for the damage caused by cyclone Vardah, but the Centre was yet to provide any assistance, Palaniswami said. His predecessor, O Panneerselvam had declared all 32 districts in the state as drought hit on January 10,2017
The CM expressed the state's concerns about Mekedatu scheme proposed by Karnataka, the dams planned by Kerala across Pambar and Bhavani rivers which are part of the Cauvery basin, and sought the Centre's help in setting up permanent mechanisms, the Cauvery Management Board and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee to resolve the long-festering issue between the neighbouring states. That apart, the state is also keen on restoring the full reservoir level of 152ft in Mullaperiyar dam, inter-linking of rivers, besides seeking approval for the Athikadavu-Avinashi scheme.
Terming unfair the formula adopted by the 14th finance commission which has "singled out Tamil Nadu for very adverse treatment", Palaniswami demanded that Modi release the pending dues of Rs 17,333 crore for various Central schemes. Emphasising on the power sector, he sought expeditious approval of the revised bidding documents for the Cheyyur ultra mega power project, creation of a dedicated inter-state green energy corridor to evacuate surplus wind power from Tamil Nadu and abolishing frequency linked penalty for renewable energy-rich states. He also urged concessional funding of Rs 17,000 crore from power ministry to make Chennai cyclone and flood resilient through improvements in distribution network.
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