The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Decision painful, says Elangovan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 27, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Decision painful, says Elangovan

By Our Special Correspondent

SALEM, SEPT. 26. The decision of the high command to seek explanations from 10 district Congress committee presidents, who were signatories to a statement against the State unit chief, G. K. Vasan, has pained partymen in the State, the Union Minister of State for Industries and Commerce, E. V. K. S. Elangovan, has said.

Talking to reporters here this evening, the Minister said the decision to send notices seeking explanation was ``not appropriate.'' He claimed that he would shortly meet the high command and explain ``realities here".

Mr. Elangovan said while the parties such as the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Pattali Makkal Katchi and the Left parties were very busy taking up people's issues, the Congress was remaining ``inactive." ``Tamil Nadu Congress should have capitalised on the massive victory in recent Parliament polls. But it has not,'' he said .

Saying that the State Government was extending cooperation with the Centre with regard to the development projects, Mr. Elangovan, however, claimed that the Union Ministers from the State were ready to discuss the development of the State with the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa. ``We are not for sacrificing the State's interests for ``petty squabbles in politics.''

On the prevailing drought, he said had the Chief Minister met the Prime Minister earlier, the drought relief would have been released by now. ``When the Centre despatches a drought team, it has started raining in the State.'' He would request the Union Minister of Steel, Ram Vilas Paswan, to release adequate funds for establishing a Steel Melting Shop in the Salem Steel Plant .

The Centre had proposed to set up an automobile, agricultural, foundries and textile clusters in Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore and Erode. Steps also would be taken to revive the Nanguneri Park in Tirunelveli district.

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