New Delhi, June 3: Tamil Nadu chief minister and AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa on Tuesday said that there was no plan of her party joining the BJP -led NDA government at the Centre as they were already having enough numbers on their own.
Commenting on a question as to whether she would consider joining the NDA, Jayalalithaa said, “There are no such proposals or talks. The NDA has got an independent majority, for that matter the BJP has its own, they do not need outside support.”
When asked whether her party will support the Government in the Rajya Sabha, she chose to keep her cards close to chest and said, “We will see when the situation arises.”
Speaking to the reporters after her meeting with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she said: “The prime minister was very receptive and gave me a patient hearing and promised to do the needful. Having been a chief minister himself for 13 years he knows the difficulties of chief ministers of states and he will do everything so that the Tamil Nadu’s needs are met.”
She said that she did not ask for any special financial package for her state.
“I have not demanded for a special financial package for the state, rather I have pointed out that there are many allocations which have been made by the centre since 2010 which have been announced by the central budget but which have not been delivered to Tamil Nadu,” she added.
She also discussed other issues pertaining to power allocation to the state and on reimbursing of revenue to Tamil Nadu.
“Regarding power about 15 percent of the power generated by central generating stations in Tamil Nadu which is unallocated. I have made a plea that it should be allotted to Tamil Nadu,” she said.
Cited certain examples, she said, “When central sales tax was reduced from 4 percent to 3 and then two percent, we were promised compensation which was why we agreed to it, we are yet to receive seven thousand and odd crore rupees, similarly under the Sarva Sikhsha Abhiyan and other central schemes amounting to four thousand rupees are outstanding. Now in anticipation that this grants will be coming from the central government we have spent it from our state budget which puts our fiscal position difficult. That’s why we sought for immediate reimbursement.”
She also informed the prime minister about the need to form the Cauvery Management Board without further delay.
“I also stressed the need to form the Cauvery Management Board without further delay and after the board is formed that Board has to constitute Cauvery water regulation Committee and it is only after that the final order of the Cauvery Water Disputes tribunal can be implemented the prime minister to do the needful and expeditiously,” she added.
She stressed in her meeting with Modi to expedite formation of supervisory committee to oversee Mullaperiyar Dam as ordered by the SC and raising its level to 142 feet.
“Stressed need to expedite formation of supervisory committee to oversee for Mullaperiyar Dam as ordered by the SC. The SC has ruled that the water can be raised to 142 feet. So I urged that the Prime Minister nominates their member on behalf of Central Water Commission, so that before the southwest monsoon sets in earnest the water level can be raised to 142 feet. The Prime Minister has promised that action will be taken within a week,” she said.
This is the first meeting of Jayalaithaa with Modi after he was sworn in as the 15th prime minster of India.
Jayalalithaa had boycotted the swearing-in of Modi on May 26, opposing the participation of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa in the ceremony.
