Chief Minister M K Stalin announces boycott of NITI Aayog meeting on July 27, accusing BJP of disregarding Tamil Nadu in Union Budget 2024. Stalin alleges political bias and neglect of state's needs.
Coimbatore: Chief Minister M K Stalin has announced his decision to boycott the NITI Aayog Governing Council meeting scheduled for July 27 in New Delhi. This move comes as a protest against what he perceives as deliberate disregard for Tamil Nadu in the Union Budget 2024.
In a strongly worded statement, Stalin accused the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government of attempting to "punish" states like Tamil Nadu that have rejected their "communal and hate politics". He alleged that the Union Budget was being used as a tool to settle "scores" for the anticipated 2024 Lok Sabha electoral defeat.
The Chief Minister pointed out several instances of perceived neglect in the budget. He noted the absence of any mention of Tamil or Tamil Nadu in Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's speech, not even a reference to Thirukkural. Stalin also highlighted the lack of allocation for relief and rehabilitation funds for recent calamities in Tamil Nadu, despite the state submitting detailed reports.
Furthermore, Stalin criticized the budget for not allocating funds for the second phase of the Chennai Metro Rail project and for failing to make announcements about metro rail projects for Coimbatore and Madurai. He argued that some of the schemes announced in the Union Budget appeared to be copied from the Tamil Nadu Budget presented in February 2024.
The DMK chief also took issue with what he saw as preferential treatment to certain states. He alleged that the budget "looked like an alliance agreement" with states like Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, rather than a comprehensive national exercise. Stalin accused the BJP of generously allotting financial resources to certain states for political reasons while neglecting others.
In response to the Union government's announcement of providing skill training to 20 lakh youth across the country over the next five years, Stalin pointed out that Tamil Nadu alone provides skill training to more than 15 lakh youths every year.
The Chief Minister also raised concerns about the Centre's request for state governments to reduce stamp duty, which falls under the state's jurisdiction as per the Constitution. He demanded compensation for potential revenue loss due to such reductions and highlighted the ongoing issue of uncompensated losses from the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Stalin's decision to boycott the NITI Aayog meeting marks a significant protest against what he perceives as continued neglect and political bias against Tamil Nadu in national-level decision-making processes.
In a strongly worded statement, Stalin accused the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government of attempting to "punish" states like Tamil Nadu that have rejected their "communal and hate politics". He alleged that the Union Budget was being used as a tool to settle "scores" for the anticipated 2024 Lok Sabha electoral defeat.
The Chief Minister pointed out several instances of perceived neglect in the budget. He noted the absence of any mention of Tamil or Tamil Nadu in Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's speech, not even a reference to Thirukkural. Stalin also highlighted the lack of allocation for relief and rehabilitation funds for recent calamities in Tamil Nadu, despite the state submitting detailed reports.
Furthermore, Stalin criticized the budget for not allocating funds for the second phase of the Chennai Metro Rail project and for failing to make announcements about metro rail projects for Coimbatore and Madurai. He argued that some of the schemes announced in the Union Budget appeared to be copied from the Tamil Nadu Budget presented in February 2024.
The DMK chief also took issue with what he saw as preferential treatment to certain states. He alleged that the budget "looked like an alliance agreement" with states like Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, rather than a comprehensive national exercise. Stalin accused the BJP of generously allotting financial resources to certain states for political reasons while neglecting others.
In response to the Union government's announcement of providing skill training to 20 lakh youth across the country over the next five years, Stalin pointed out that Tamil Nadu alone provides skill training to more than 15 lakh youths every year.
The Chief Minister also raised concerns about the Centre's request for state governments to reduce stamp duty, which falls under the state's jurisdiction as per the Constitution. He demanded compensation for potential revenue loss due to such reductions and highlighted the ongoing issue of uncompensated losses from the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Stalin's decision to boycott the NITI Aayog meeting marks a significant protest against what he perceives as continued neglect and political bias against Tamil Nadu in national-level decision-making processes.