Dubai trip successful, Opposition parties will only criticize: Stalin

M K Stalin said the progress of the investments pledged during the UAE visit will be monitored by his office

Returning home from his five-day visit to the United Arab Emirates, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday sought to blunt the opposition’s criticism of his visit which was dubbed a “leisure trip” by declaring that his government will “very soon realise” the Rs 6,100 crore investment pledged by industrialists in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Stalin said he has instructed officials from the Industries Department and Guidance Bureau to follow up regularly on the investments pledged during the visit and ensure that the industries are set up well before the time agreed upon during their signing.

Addressing a press conference at the Chennai Airport, immediately after he arrived from Abu Dhabi in the wee hours of Tuesday, Stalin termed his UAE trip “successful” and said he would visit other countries too if the need arises in the future. Though Stalin’s visit created excitement, it was also mired in controversy, with opposition parties questioning his flying in a special aircraft and the presence of his family members, who have interests in several businesses and the film industry, during the official visit.

Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami and Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai had criticised Stalin’s foreign visit calling it a “leisure trip” with family members. Even as Stalin was in the UAE, the government was forced to clarify that the expenses incurred for the chartered flight would be borne by the DMK and that the Chief Minister’s intention was just to attract investments to the state.

“They are opposition parties. They will only do such things…I am not bothered. The trip was so successful that six MoUs with a value of Rs 6,100 crore that will provide employment to 14,700 people was signed. These MoUs will not be just paper boats like they were during the erstwhile AIADMK government. We will monitor closely,” Stalin told reporters.

The Chief Minister said the progress of the investments pledged during the UAE visit will be monitored by his office and added to the CM dashboard. “Besides garnering fresh investments, I also met with business and government representatives in the UAE to hard sell Tamil Nadu. I told them that the investment climate in Tamil Nadu is excellent and asked them to invest more in our state,” Stalin said.

The Guidance Bureau has also been asked to continue with its efforts to seek fresh investments from foreign countries, he said.

While LuLu Group International will invest Rs 3,500 crore in setting up two malls in Chennai and Coimbatore and a food processing unit in Tamil Nadu, Nobel Steels has pledged an investment of Rs 1,100 crore. The White House and Transworld Group will invest Rs 500 crore and Rs 100 crore, and Aster Healthcare will invest Rs 500 crore.

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