M.Karunanidhi.

CHENNAI: Three weeks after assuming office, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi arrived in New Delhi on Sunday. Being his first visit to the national capital after taking charge, it acquires special significance.

A series of meetings has been fixed up. Mr. Karunanidhi will call on President Abdul Kalam, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia among others.

He plans to raise several key issues and concerns with the political leadership in Delhi and will also discuss the reservation issue. Being a senior statesman and key ally in the United Progressive Alliance, the Congress leaders will also be keen on evolving a new Centre-State equation with Tamil Nadu.

Official sources say seeking special financial assistance for major projects and programmes announced by the DMK Government is likely to figure in talks with the Planning Commission, the Prime Minister and Ms. Sonia Gandhi in particular.

Special package

"When the Centre has worked out special packages for some other States, we see no reason for not being able to get one for Tamil Nadu," explains a senior official. In particular, the Chief Minister is expected to seek special assistance to waive all cooperative farm loans in the State - a package of Rs. 6,866 crore that was announced soon after he was sworn in.

A scheme will have to be evolved to refinance the almost defunct cooperative societies that have extended farm loans over the past four years plagued by successive drought. Though Central assistance for supplying rice at Rs. 2 a kg through the Public Distribution System may not be forthcoming, Mr. Karunanidhi may try to seek increased allocation of rice for the below poverty line category.

Rice subsidy

The Left parties have already raised the issue of subsidising PDS rice and Finance Minister Chidambaram has made it clear that it can only be within the means of the State's resources. There is no question of the Centre reducing the price. On the contrary, there is a fresh move to raise the PDS price and reduce the entitlement per family ration card per month. Rice subsidy has, therefore, become a very sensitive political issue.

Another novel scheme the DMK has announced is the free distribution of colour television sets to families that do not have one, basically the Below the Poverty Line households.

The State Government is preparing a blueprint for the scheme but the current thinking appears to be to set up at least an assembly plant at the Nanguneri SEZ, as an estimated 50 lakh sets have to be produced and distributed over a two or three year time frame.

It remains to be seen if the Planning Commission can be persuaded to partly fund the project under one pretext or the other, at least to generate jobs for rural women.

Politically, a new rapport may be established between the Centre and State, given the fact that the same political dispensation wields power in both places.

Congress hopes

The State unit of the Congress may be hoping that its request to join the State Government in a coalition experiment will figure in discussions with Ms. Sonia Gandhi. But DMK sources feel it does not figure in the agenda. "Our own assessment and the internal dynamics works against a coalition in the State. There is also the understanding with the Congress leadership over the unconditional support, on a reciprocal basis, in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry. We think there is a broad agreement and appreciation of this position," reasons a Cabinet source here.

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