Party Line

While the DMK manifesto attempts to draw attention to its achievements in thelast five years, claiming first place in the country in rice productivity,production of oilseeds, investments in industry, containing AIDS and InfantMortality Rate and in terms of the number of software professionals turned outfrom the State, the AIADMK, ironically, lays emphasis on a corruption-freegovernance.

AIADMK

The AIADMK has promised to implement several progressive development schemeswith speed and efficiency to enable Tamil Nadu to become the country's ‘mostadvanced State’.

Highlights:

1. To take steps to totally eradicate extremist, secessionist and separatistmovements. To preserve and strengthen the country’s sovereignty, unity andintegrity and ensure peace.

2. To tackle Veerappan and his gang with an iron hand and "reveal...all thesordid machinations of the outrageous drama" (Rajkumar’s kidnapping) andurge the Union Government to intervene effectively before "things go out ofcontrol".

3. To urge the Centre to ban the Tamil Nadu Liberation Front, the TNLA, TNRTand other "militant anti- national groups which are in league with Veerappan’sgang".

4. To take steps to guard Tamil Nadu’s coastline.

5. To take speedy remedial action and legal against those involved in thescandals.

(It has listed a series of ‘scandals’ such as those in cement pricemanipulation, in the public distribution system, copra and medical equipmentprocurement, government purchases, in the TNEB and transport department)

6. To take swift action for urging the government to enable Tamil Nadu getits due legal rights in the Cauvery dispute and resolve the Mullaiperiyar damissue. The Centre would also be urged to implement a project connecting thePamba Achankovil and Vaigai rivers. Forming of the Cauvery River Water Authority(CWRA) comprising four Chief Ministers and the Prime Minister, as a ‘betrayal’of the State.

7. To introduce a special scheme to provide incentives to the world Tamilcommunity to enable them cherish Tamil language, art and culture.

8. To urge the Centre to take steps to enable Sri Lankan Tamils to acquiretheir legitimate rights and get a peaceful and dignified life.

9. To stop terrorism and ban militants from using the State as their base.

10. To enhance the image of the police force and modernise its equipment andtraining. The strength of the force and number of police stations, including allwomen stations, to be increased. The police headquarters to be connected to allstations and unit offices by modern technology.

11. To appoint an expert committee to undertake an industrial survey tolocate new industrial areas and to introduce state of the art techniques toincrease employment opportunities and modernise industrial units. A modernindustrial development scheme would give special focus to drugs andpharmaceuticals, processed agro and food products and software industries andinformation technology. To set up a Tamil NRI consortium to mobilise foreigninvestment.

12. To set up a pension scheme for the unorganised working class and fairwages for agricultural workers. To give free cooking gas connections to helpindigent women.

13. To urge the Centre to replace the three-tier administration system with atwo-tier system by a statute change.

14. To revamp general administration and e-governance. Chennai citizensassured of two new reservoirs and desalination plants to tide over the watercrisis.

DMK

The ruling DMK in its manifesto has declared ‘Grow more, produce more andexport more’ as its agenda. It has pledged to work within the ‘Constitutionalframework' and that it abhors violence in any form.

Highlights:

1. To focus on Information Technology, biotechnology and other cutting-edgesciences of the 21st Century. "We promise to dovetail the advances made inthese fields for the promotion of agriculture and horticulture and convert theminto a hi-tech growth industry".

2. To promote dry farming and wasteland development, besides raising thegroundwater table for the benefit of farmers, through the adoption ofmicro-watershed management and other modern techniques.

3. To introduce ‘Contract farming’ in the cultivation of fruits,vegetables and flowers, while providing a steady market and remunerative priceto horticulture farmers and encouraging exports. Special incentives to be givento farmers engaged in their cultivation keeping in mind the export potential ofmedicinal plants and herbs.

4. To promote the intake of tender coconut water among the people and promotemultistoreyed cropping and other modern techniques in cultivation to ensure acontinuous yield and good returns to help coconut farmers.

5. All irrigation sources to be entrusted to the respective water-usersassociations for maintenance.

6. To continue with the transparent and investor-friendly industrial policyimplemented during the current tenure.

7. A comprehensive scheme to cover all aspects of textile industry - fromcotton cultivation to garment manufacturing. To constitute a task force tosuggest social security measures to protect the interests of all personnelinvolved in the industry.

8. To provide LPG connections to 30 lakh women over the next five years.Three lakhs had already benefited.

9. To continue all its welfare schemes for the poor and step up the pace ofdevelopment of rural infrastructure, as well as water supply and sanitation.Environmental protection would receive special attention under theCentrally-sponsored National River Water Protection Scheme for which Rs 1,700crores had been sanctioned.