The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : ‘DMK governments have always fulfilled Periyar’s dreams’

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‘DMK governments have always fulfilled Periyar’s dreams’

Staff Reporter

Local Administration Minister M. K. Stalin says DMK has fulfilled leader’s wishes

DHARAPURAM: The present DMK government as well as those in the past have always fulfilled Periyar’s dreams, State Minister for Local Administration and Rural Development M. K. Stalin has said.

Addressing a gathering after unveiling Periyar statue here on Saturday, he said it was a DMK government under C. N. Annadurai that legalised inter-caste marriages, after Periyar, at a Dravida Kazhagam conference in 1929, passed a resolution in support of such marriages.

Likewise, in 1989, 60 years after Periyar passed a resolution, the then DMK government enacted a legislation giving women equal property rights.

Similarly, 90 years after the Dravidian leader as the then Chairman of Erode Municipality passed a resolution asking for upgrade of Erode Municipality, the present DMK government had upgraded the Municipality into Corporation.

Mr. Stalin said the aforementioned actions were just pointers to what the Government had done to fulfil Periyar’s dreams.

Ideals

DMK governments had also lived up to the leader’s ideals, he said and referred to the Samathuvapuram scheme.

“In order to create an equal and a just society, the DMK government had in 1996 announced the Samathuvapuram scheme to help people of all castes and communities live in peace and harmony.

“The government had created 145 Samathuvapurams,” the Minister said.

He added, “The present government, in continuance of the scheme, had proposed to create another 92 Samathuvapurams.

“Not only that, the Government in all the residential areas would install Periyar statues,” he said.

Mr. Stalin then spoke about the DMK’s election manifesto.

“The DMK’s 2006 election manifesto was not just empty poll promises but assurances made after careful consideration. The promises are being implemented and would be completed before the end of the term,” he said and added that other political parties were just following suit.

“The DMK’s election manifesto is a benchmark and political parties going elections in other states are just copying or are taking leaves out of the party’s.”

The Local Administration and Rural Development Minister then spoke about developments in village and town panchayats under the Anaithu Grama Anna Marumalarchi Thittam and Anaithu Peruratchi Anna Marumalarchi Thittam.

He said in each of the two categories of local bodies, the Government spent about Rs. 1 crore a year under the schemes and through funds from other departments.

In Erode in 2007-08, 60 panchayats have been selected under the Anaithu Grama Anna Marumalarchi Thittam for completion of 1,014 works at Rs. 13.80 crore.

Completed

Nearly 915 works had been completed and the rest would be completed soon, he said.

Earlier, Ministers N.K.K.P. Raja and M.P. Saminathan spoke. Member of Parliament from Palani S. K. Kharventhan and others also participated.

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