DMK govt schemes adopted by Centre, says TN CM Stalin 

Chennai, Jan 24 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said on Saturday that several flagship schemes of the DMK government had been adopted by the Union government, and expressed surprise that Governor R.N. Ravi, despite repeatedly criticising the state administration, appeared unaware of this fact. 

Replying to the Governor's address during the state Assembly debate, Chief Minister Stalin added that the Union Home Minister Amit Shah himself had presented awards recognising Tamil Nadu's performance in the cooperative sector. 

"In total, Tamil Nadu has received 65 awards from the Union government. Even then, the Governor continues to criticise our administration. This only reflects his vision -- a damaged vision," the Chief Minister said. 

Highlighting the state's law and order record, CM Stalin said that Tamil Nadu had not witnessed communal riots, caste clashes, or gang violence during the current DMK government's tenure. 

"This is the achievement of the Dravidian Model of governance. Officials from other states regularly visit Tamil Nadu to study and replicate our schemes," he noted. 

The Chief Minister said the state's Health and Family Welfare Department had won the prestigious United Nations Interagency Task Force Awards (UNIATF) for 2024 under the 'Ministries of Health' category, for its flagship doorstep healthcare programme, Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam. 

He described the recognition as global validation of Tamil Nadu's public health model. 

On the economic front, CM Stalin said Tamil Nadu had transformed dramatically in recent years. 

"From being ranked last in 2018, the state has now emerged as the best performer in the startup ecosystem. Tamil Nadu also tops the Export Preparedness Index with a score of 80.89 and leads the country in electronics goods manufacturing, accounting for 41.23 per cent of the national output," he added. 

The Chief Minister said that Tamil Nadu now has 20 Ramsar wetlands, underlining its commitment to environmental conservation. 

"In agriculture, the state has secured second place nationally in the production of oilseeds, groundnut, sugarcane, and maize." 

Citing crime data, CM Stalin said there had been a significant reduction in murders, murders for gain, robberies, and sexual assaults compared to the previous AIADMK government. 

Concluding the current DMK government's tenure, the Chief Minister said that 1,724 days had passed since he assumed office, during which he attended 8,685 official events, signed 15,117 files, and toured districts outside Chennai on 173 occasions, underscoring what he described as a governance model rooted in performance and accountability.