Chennai: His two-day state tour ended on ThursdayTamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin traveled 143 km in a train to Vellore, during which a bogie was converted into a temporary office.
The CM ditched his traditional white vesti And a T-shirt, a shirt for trousers and walking shoes. He met delegations of traders, agriculture unions and also tasted the food being prepared for the school students.
Praising the district officials during the review, Stalin said, “In the 20 months that the DMK was in power, 80 per cent of the schemes announced by the government have been implemented.” meeting Directed more officers in the district to focus on public welfare projects. “This field visit is not to find fault, but to heed the voices of the people.”
While the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief said this Kala Avil Mudhalwar (Chief Minister on field visit)’ after becoming CM in May 2021, his rivals slammed it as a “photo op”.
Political observers say the statements by opposition parties can be understood as Stalin wanting to project himself as a “people’s chief minister” for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Senior Political Analyst Priyan Stalin has been in the habit of field visits ever since he first became mayor in 1996, we told ThePrint. He said, ‘He sees it as part of his job profile.’
‘Even before the 2021 assembly elections’Namaku Name (We for Ourselves)’ campaign programs were his trend towards meeting people, all over Tamil Nadu. He wants to be seen as the chief minister of the people,” Ramu Manivanan, professor in the Department of Politics and Public Administration, University of Madras, told ThePrint.
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surprise visit to train office
Around 12 students had reached the Government Adi Dravida Welfare Primary School in Nadaparai, Vellore at 8 am on February 2. Headmaster T. Anbazhagan, whose morning duty was to oversee the food served Under Chief Minister Breakfast SchemeHe had also come just now.
Anbazhagan said he was surprised to see a convoy of vehicles parked outside and Stalin walking into the school. “We knew the chief minister was in the city but we didn’t know he was coming to our school,” said the headmaster of the school which has 132 students.
“He was polite and asked about the food being served and the students,” Anbazhagan told ThePrint.
Interacting with the students, Stalin asked them about the food, whether there was variety in the food served, and most importantly, whether they liked it. After tasting the grass, the CM went to serve the 12 children present there.
Launched in September 2022, the breakfast scheme covers 1,545 schools and benefits over lakh students across Tamil Nadu. According to an official statement, this breakfast scheme is in addition to the already existing mid-day meal scheme.
Stalin also inspected the construction of 20 Wellness Center Produced by Vellore Corporation at a cost of Rs.25 lakh each.
During the two-day visit, Stalin interacted with officials of Vellore, Ranipet, Tirupattur and Tiruvannamalai districts as well as agricultural unions, self-help groups, industrial and business forums.
“It was a very quick conversation, maybe 5 minutes. We handed over the petition. The CM said he would look into the petition,” said RB Gnanavel, a businessman who is one of the 10 members of the municipal steering committee set up by the government in Vellore. Is.
Gnanavel sought the Chief Minister’s intervention for the meeting of the committee, which has not taken place since its formation three months ago.
Tamil Nadu Farmers Union general secretary S Udayakumar, who was among the 10 farmers who met Stalin in Vellore, said the delegation submitted a joint petition listing 15 demands.
“The CM said he would look into it. We will have to wait and see if our request is heard. The Chief Secretary has also promised that things will be looked into.
Groundwork for 2024?
According to press statement about Kala Ivil Mudhalwar, Stalin’s review visits, Will assess whether the government schemes related to various departments will reach the public or not.
“There will be politics in every action of a politician. The BJP is trying to build a strong front in the state and the ruling party will be at a disadvantage where there is an incumbency factor. To deal with this, the government will have to make extra efforts.
Pointing to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and 2026 state elections, Professor Ramu Minivan said, “I think it is to counter the BJP in the short and long term perspective.”
The opposition All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleged that the visits were just a “photo op”. “These meetings are like set up meetings. Most of the people who met him did not have time to properly put forward their request to the CM. Nothing is happening on the ground. The CM goes to the ground, clicks pictures and pushes,” former AIADMK MP J. jaivardhan told ThePrint.
The BJP alleged that the poor law and order situation forced Stalin to step down. “The DMK administration has been shaken. This will expose the failure of the DMK,” BJP state vice-president Narayanan Thirupati told ThePrint.
The DMK, meanwhile, said the chief minister’s eagerness to check the ground reality prompted the initiative. “The CM has announced several projects and schemes. He wants to check how these projects are happening on the ground. It is the role of the opposition to make such negative remarks. told ThePrint.
(Edited by Tony Rae)