The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Take credit, but cooperate with Centre, Ramadoss tells Jayalalithaa

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 13, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Take credit, but cooperate with Centre, Ramadoss tells Jayalalithaa

By Our Special Correspondent

YERCAUD, SEPT. 12. The Chief Minister and AIADMK chief, Jayalalithaa, can ``take all the credit'' for various development projects including the one for Sethusamudhram, but should cooperate with the Centre, the Pattali Makkal Katchi leader, S. Ramadoss, told reporters here today.

``It is a golden period for Tamil Nadu, as we have 12 Ministers holding important posts at the Centre. She should cooperate with our Ministers to get all these projects implemented,'' he said reacting to Jayalalithaa's claim for implementing the project.

Declaring the project as a victory for the United Progressive Alliance in Tamil Nadu, the PMK leader said that no leader of allies made any individual claims on the project. ``Ms. Jayalalithaa can take the credit. But she should not stall the development works and people-welfare schemes being initiated by us,'' Dr. Ramadoss said.

The Union Ministers were ready to meet the Chief Minister. But she was yet to provide them an opportunity.

Dr. Ramadoss, who was here to attend the State executive committee meeting of the party, told reporters today that he had made a plea to the Chief Secretary to appoint a coordinator to interact with the Ministers and to monitor the progress of Central projects in Tamil Nadu. ``The State is yet to respond," he said. If she was unwilling to cooperate, she could dissolve the Assembly and seek a fresh mandate. ``Thus after the polls we can at least have same governments both at the Centre and State so that we can complete all projects without any hitch,'' he said.

Denying the allegations that the Union Ministers from the State were promoting a ``parallel government'' in the State, Dr. Ramadoss said the Centre could not interfere in the administration of the States. ``For example how can the Union Health Minister interfere in the State's administration, as health is the State subject," he asked.

BJP anti-democratic

Calling the Bharatiya Janata Party anti-democratic, the PMK leader said while the UPA was striving hard for the uplift of the poor in the country, the BJP, as an opposition party was seriously thinking of propagating the ``Hindutva'' principles. His party decided to enhance the women's participation in its decision-making bodies at the district-level. One third of posts in district presidents and secretaries would be reserved for women, he said.

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