AIADMK releases poll manifesto
In the manifesto, the party promised a corruption-free, honest and transparent administration in Tamil Nadu.
Promising a corruption free, honest and transparent administration in Tamil Nadu, the AIADMK on Wednesday said it would work for upgradation of economic and social status of Tamils, if voted back to power, in the May 8 polls.
Quoting social reformer Periyar EV Ramaswamy, the party, in its manifesto said "pride and knowledge are prime for human beings" and the party would strive for implementing the goals of Periyar.
"Able administration, honest approach, impartial judiciary, upgradation of quality of life and peaceful and secured life to the people of the state are our goals and we promise to achieve this," it said.
The manifesto also promised to put a "full stop to artificial scarcity of essential commodities, like LPG, created by wrong and anti-people policies of the Centre".
Coming down heavily on the Congress-led UPA coalition at the Centre, it said scams had become the order of the day.
Whenever the Congress ruled the country, there were continuous story of scams in the purchase of arms for army. When Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister, it was Bofors and now it was submarine deals, AIADMK alleged and wanted an inquiry into the submarine purchases.
On Bofors, the AIADMK said the people had the right to know who ordered the de-freezing of the London bank accounts of the Italian businessman, Ottavio Quattrocchi.
It also came down heavily on the UPA allies from Tamil Nadu, whom it charged with blocking the development of the state.
The party would fight for the setting up of a Cauvery Delta Authority in place of the present 'politically-oriented and powerless Cauvery River Authority (CRA) to enforce the final award of the tribunal.
The draft plan for such an authority has already been submitted to the tribunal which is expected to give its final award shortly, it said.
The manifesto reiterated Jyalalithaa's view that the CRA, with Prime Minister as Chairman and Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Pondicherry as members, was unable to meet in distress situations and take timely decisions.
The Jayalalithaa Government, therefore, had proposed before the tribunal that it should in its final order recommend the setting up of a Cauvery Delta Authority, comprising experts and armed with powers to enforce its order.
The new authority should be headed by a retired Supreme Court Judge or High Court Chief Justice and should have under it a 'Cauvery River Master' with a chief engineer and three independent experts as members.
On the dispute with Kerala over raising the height of the Mullaperiyar dam, the manifesto said Jayalalithaa had already announced that her government would move the Supreme Court to enforce its order to raise the height to 142 ft from the present 136 ft and to quash the recently passed Kerala legislation aimed at nullifying the order.
Among the achievements of the AIADMK rule, it listed the elimination of forest brigand Veerappan, bringing of Veeranam water to Chennai to meet its drinking water shortage, supply of bicycles and free text-books to school children and farmers production scheme.
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