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31. Expert committees have given recommendations to the
Government regarding implementation of a uniform education system in our
state. In pursuance, the committee constituted to study the curricula in
various other states, has visited them and studied their curricula as
well as the Boards of School Education followed in those states. Based
on these studies, this Government will take necessary steps to ensure
that all students in the State get
a uniform education of high quality by improving the standard of the
curriculum in our State Board.
32. Accepting the request of this Government, the Union
Government has approved the establishment of an Indian Institute of
Management (IIM) at Trichy, a World-class University at Coimbatore and a
Central University at Tiruvarur. In
addition, by establishing six new government engineering colleges in the
same year at Viluppuram, Tindivanam, Panrutti, Tirukkuvalai,
Ramanathapuram and Ariyalur, this Government has paved way for the poor
in obtaining higher education at low cost.
33. By reviving the ‘Varumun Kappom Thittam’ - a
model scheme for the entire country in preventive health care,
expeditiously filling up the vacant posts of doctors and nurses in
government hospitals and improving the infrastructure of government
hospitals through the Tamil Nadu Health Systems Project, this Government
has been taking all efforts to ensure adequate and timely healthcare for
the common man. Free
emergency ambulance service has been implemented throughout the State in
a proper manner. As a
result of such determined efforts of this Government in the health
sector, the number of patients receiving treatment as well as the
number of deliveries in
government hospitals have witnessed a phenomenal
increase. This achievement has been complimented by the
Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare as an example for the entire
country.
34. Although
the general public are greatly benefited by availing treatment in the
improved government hospitals for most of the diseases, we all know that
the poor and downtrodden still have to access private hospitals for serious illnesses like cancer, heart diseases, kidney failure,
brain and spinal problems and life threatening accidents.
This Government is also well aware of the fact that it is
not possible for the poor to bear the expenses towards treatment for
such life threatening diseases. Considering
these facts, a new scheme called ‘Chief Minister’s Insurance Scheme
for Life Saving Treatments’ will be launched this year to ensure that
such poor and low income groups who cannot afford costly treatment, are
able to get free treatment in government as well as private hospitals
for such serious ailments. Under
this scheme, each beneficiary family will be insured for availing free
treatment up to Rs.1 lakh. The
Government will bear the entire premium for this purpose. About one crore poor families in the State will benefit from this
revolutionary scheme.
35. National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme is being
effectively implemented in all districts of our state and a sum of
Rs.1,343 crores has been disbursed as
wages so far. The fact
that, under this scheme,
82 per cent of the beneficiaries are women and
59 per cent are Adi Dravidars, merits special mention.
36. With a view to upholding
Thanthai Periyar’s message of social equality, this Government had
announced that 95 new Samathuvapurams, each having his statue, will be
established over a period of three years. Accordingly, the works for 29 new Samathuvapurams are currently
underway. Under Anaithu
Grama Anna Marumalarchi Thittam (AGAMT), infrastructure development
works have been taken up in 7,585 villages at a cost of Rs.1,524 crores
so far.
37. The works for Chennai airport expansion project,
which had been approved by
the Union Government, have commenced. An Elevated Express Highway from Maduravoyal to Chennai Port at a cost
of Rs.1,655 crores has also been approved by the Union Government and
the Hon’ble Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh laid the foundation
stone on 8.1.2009, in the presence of our Chief Minister. While
thanking the
Union Government for according approval for these projects, this
Government is determined to ensure their speedy execution and
completion.
38. The
Metro Rail Project at an estimated cost of Rs.14,600 crores, intended to
address the public transportation needs of Chennai city thereby reducing the increasing congestion on the roads, will be
implemented solely in the public sector mode. Having received the financial assistance of Japan International
Co-operation Agency (JICA) for this project in such a short period due
to the tireless efforts of this Government, I am happy to inform that
the works under this project will commence this very year. In addition, based on the request of people from Thiruvottiyur that their town should also be
linked under this project, detailed investigation will be undertaken
immediately.
39. Immediately after assuming charge, this Government
had enhanced the monthly pension for elderly, destitutes, widows and
physically handicapped persons from Rs.200/- to Rs.400/- and in respect
of severely handicapped persons from Rs.200/- to Rs.500/-. Further, the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme for
all old aged persons living below the poverty line is also being
effectively implemented jointly with the Union Government. Moreover, in a gesture never shown before, mentally challenged
persons who are not even able to take care of themselves will continue
to be given Rs.500/- per month without any restriction as to number of
beneficiaries and income limit.
40. By ensuring equal property rights and reservation
in employment to women, this Government has staunchly supported women in
securing their legitimate rights. By
launching the Self Help Group movement, it had sown the seeds for their
economic development also. This
Government has taken all necessary steps to empower this movement to
bring about a transformation in the entire society. 61,687 new Self Help Groups, having 10.48 lakh women as members,
have been formed since 2006. The
training allowance for the members of these groups has been enhanced and
for the first time in our state, urban Self Help Groups have also been
given revolving fund. Further,
by allocating
Rs.150 crores, this Government is providing revolving fund to all
eligible Self Help Groups in the State.
41. Under the scheme for providing monthly assistance
to unemployed youth, 3,32,091 persons have been given assistance of
Rs.60 crores this year so far. Moreover,
in order to make them employable, job oriented training programmes are
being conducted through
Adi Dravidar Welfare Department, Backward, Most Backward and Minorities
Welfare Department and Corporation for Development of Women.
42. With the socio-economic and educational development
of people belonging to
Adi Dravidar and Tribal communities as its
prime objective, this Government is formulating
and implementing various schemes for their welfare. Separate welfare boards have been created for sanitary
workers and Scheduled Tribes, who are the most backward among them. Recognising that the
development of Arundhatiars requires special concessions, a
one man commission headed by retired Justice M.S. Janarthanam was
constituted to explore the possibility of giving special reservation to
Arundhatiars within the 18% quota for Adi Dravidars including Arundhatiars. Based on its report, this Government has decided to enact
necessary legislation to provide for 3 percent reservation to Arundhatiars within the quota for Adi Dravidars. By implementing this reservation soon, this Government will
change the destiny of those who were engaged in manual scavenging and will
open a new chapter in the socio-economic development of Arundhatiars,
enabling them to live with self respect.
43. Unorganised labour welfare boards constituted by
this Government during 1996-2001 for the benefit of the workers in the
unorganised sector were subsequently abolished. This Government has revived these boards and has been providing
various benefits through them. After
this Government assumed charge, benefits worth Rs.91 crores have been
disbursed so far through these boards to their 35 lakh members.
44. Following the implementation of the recommendations
of 6th pay Commission by the Union Government, an official
level committee is examining the modalities of implementing the new pay
scales, pension and family pension for the employees of the State
Government as well as local bodies, teachers, pensioners and family
pensioners. Having regard to the fact that it will take some more time
to complete this work, the Government has granted interim arrears to the
tune of Rs.4,247 crores to employees and pensioners. Revised pay scales will be implemented soon on receipt of the
final report of this committee. Accepting the long standing demand of
noon meal workers, they have recently been given special time scale and
special pension. In addition, as assured earlier, when the pay scales of the government employees are revised, pay
scales of these over two lakh noon meal workers will be revised again.
45. It is known to everyone that the DMK Government, as
the heir to the legacy of the Justice Party that had sown the seeds of
social justice, has been functioning in all spheres with social justice
as its guiding principle. Accepting
our repeated requests, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government
has implemented 27 per cent reservation for the other backward
communities in central educational institutions through necessary
constitutional amendment and enactment of appropriate legislation. This Government urges the
UPA Government to take all necessary steps to ensure that social backwardness is the sole criterion for reservation, so that, irrespective of economic status (creamy layer), everyone belonging to the
backward communities is able to enjoy the benefits of reservation, as
articulated by Thanthai Periyar, Perarignar Anna, Pandit Nehru and Dr. Ambedkar. The demand for adding Adi Dravidars following Christianity to the list of Scheduled Castes, as
in the case of Adi Dravidars following Hinduism and Buddhism, is being raised for a
long time. The Government of Tamil Nadu urges the Union Government to come forward to fulfill this genuine demand. In addition, this Government also requests the Union Government to consider the
recommendations of the Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission to provide
reservation for backward Muslims at the national level and make
necessary announcement in this regard.
46. As a result of the tireless efforts of Hon’ble
Chief Minister Kalaignar, the Government of India has established the
Central Institute of Classical Tamil at Chennai, in addition to having
honoured our mother tongue Tamil as a
classical language, thus realising the dream of Parithimal Kalaignar. With a view to ensuring that everyone learns Tamil, this
Government has enacted legislation making learning of Tamil compulsory
in all schools in the State. This
Government will leave no stone unturned for making Tamil one of the
official languages of the Union Government and a language of transaction
in Madras High Court.
47. In view of the consensus amongst all Tamil scholars
that the beginning of the Thiruvalluvar year- the first day of the month
of Thai- is the first day of Tamil New Year, this Government has
declared 1st Thai as the
Tamil New Year Day and enacted legislation in this regard. To enable the people who have been celebrating Pongal as the
festival of Tamils, to celebrate it also as the Tamil New Year Day, this
Government has given rice, jaggery etc., to all families in the State as
a Pongal as well as
Tamil New Year gift. On
this occasion, folk art forms which proclaim the greatness of Tamil
culture and various musical programmes are conducted. We appeal to the people of this state to celebrate this occasion
as Samathuva Pongal and Tamil New Year Day by wearing new clothes and
with boundless joy in the coming years as well.
48. I have elaborated before you the various schemes
implemented in the last two and half years since this Government has
assumed office with the welfare of the people of Tamil Nadu as its sole
concern and the proposed future initiatives. Committed to the philosophy that a Government should not only
cater to the major sections of the society like farmers,
agricultural labourers, small-scale industrialists, industrial workers,
saltpan workers, weavers, fishermen, palm tappers, traders, washermen,
tailors,
film industry workers, hairdressers, construction workers, domestic
workers, loadmen and other manual workers, government employees and
teachers, but should be a friend in need also to those voiceless and
powerless sections on the margins of our society like Arundhatiars,
transgenders, disabled and mentally challenged; this Government has been working ceaselessly towards the
development of every member of the Tamil society. With the hope and expectation that your support will always be
available for these efforts to succeed, I conclude this address.
Vanakkam
Jai Hind |
