The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : All Central Ministers from Tamil Nadu have performed well: Karunanidhi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 20, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

All Central Ministers from Tamil Nadu have performed well: Karunanidhi

Special Correspondent

Relations between UPA partners good: Karunanidhi

CHENNAI: "We asked. They gave," said Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M. Karunanidhi when asked about the sanction for the Sethusamudram canal project. The implementation of the project was one of the long-standing demands of the DMK. "I had taken up the matter with the Prime Minister and had also told Baalu [Union Surface Transport Minister from the DMK]. In yesterday's Cabinet meeting this was accepted," he told presspersons at the airport here. He was returning from New Delhi after attending a meeting of UPA partners.

On the performance of Central Ministers from Tamil Nadu, Mr. Karunanidhi said, "All the Ministers, including those from the PMK and the Congress, have done very well.

When his attention was drawn to the various demands that he had placed before the UPA, he said they included the strengthening of infrastructure to fuel economic growth. Like in Japan, Europe and South Korea, the Centre should introduce bullet trains between major metros. "I have spoken about this to Sonia Gandhi and the Prime Minister. Already there is a plan to operate such a train between Ahmedabad and Mumbai. In the South too, there should be bullet trains to link Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad." He said the leaders had assured him that the proposal would be definitely considered. "Like the Sethusamudram scheme, this too will become a reality," he said and added that this did not mean that the project would be completed tomorrow. It would take at least 10 years. The UPA meeting on Wednesday had also launched the Bharat Nirman scheme for providing shelter and livelihood to the poor in rural areas. "This was decided yesterday."

He said the relations between the UPA partners was good. Asked about the decision of the Left parties to stay away from the May 22 celebrations, he said they were supporting the UPA from outside.

BJP's charge

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday criticised Mr. Karunanidhi, for his "failure" to get any assurance from the Prime Minister that Karnataka would abide by the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal.

In a statement, V. Vaidyalingam, vice-president of the State unit, said if the Karnataka Chief Minister and the Prime Minister gave an assurance that if the award would be implemented, the dispute would be resolved. But, Mr. Karunanidhi had avoided the issue.

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