Will never go back on implementing poll promises: Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin

Stalin also assured that his administration will not use the White Report which has reiterated that the state’s finances are in deep red as an excuse not to implement the poll promises

All promises made by the DMK in its election manifesto for the 2021 Assembly elections will be implemented and there was no going back, Chief Minister M K Stalin told the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Monday as principal opposition AIADMK questioned the “non-implementation” of several promises.

Stalin also gave a categorical assurance that his administration will not use the White Report which has reiterated that the state’s finances are in deep red as an excuse not to implement the poll promises. To a question, the Chief Minister said Cooperation Minister I Periyasamy will explain in detail the irregularities in providing agricultural and gold loans during the previous regime before implementing the promise of waiving them off.

As Opposition Leader Edappadi K Palaniswami and AIADMK MLA R B Udhayakumar accused the DMK of not fulfilling promises, Stalin sought to turn the tables seeking to know how many poll assurances the AIADMK regime fulfilled in its 2016-2021 term.

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“One should not think that I asked them about not fulfilling all promises so that we can also do the same. We are determined to fulfil all assurances given to people by setting right the state’s finances and removing irregularities in certain areas. Our goal is to walk the talk and we are here to do that. No one should have any doubt on this,” the Chief Minister said.

Stalin, in his brief speech in the Assembly on August 14 on completing 100 days in office, had suggested that the financial situation of the state did not allow his government to implement all promises at one go. However, he said all promises will be implemented gradually while listing the assurances that have been fulfilled like reducing the price of petrol by Rs 3.

During his intervention on Monday, Stalin sought to know from the AIADMK why they did not provide mobile phones to people, why wi-fi facilities were not made available in public places and why the monorail project was not implemented as promised by their leader late J Jayalalithaa.

Palaniswami asked why the DMK government was now saying that Rs 1,000 “rightful money” will be provided only to eligible women every month instead of all women heads of households as promised in the manifesto.

The AIADMK, which has 66 members, participated in the House proceedings on Monday after boycotting the presentation of Budget by Finance Minister P T R Palanivel Thiaga Rajan on August 13.