Tamil Nadu development driven by Centre’s funds and welfare schemes: ANS Prasad
He maintained that the Modi government has increased the employment guarantee scheme from 100 to 125 days and raised wages, while noting that implementation rests with state governments.
Chennai: BJP spokesperson A.N.S. Prasad on Sunday strongly defended the Union government’s development record in the state, asserting that Tamil Nadu’s growth trajectory has been largely powered by enhanced central funding and flagship schemes introduced under the NDA governments led by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Responding to the DMK-led alliance’s call for statewide protests on February 12 against the Union Budget, changes to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), and the India–US trade agreement, Prasad dismissed the allegations of discrimination as “politically motivated and misleading”.
He maintained that the Modi government has increased the employment guarantee scheme from 100 to 125 days and raised wages, while noting that implementation rests with state governments. According to him, certain funding conditions were introduced to address irregularities reported in some states, including Tamil Nadu. Prasad said Tamil Nadu has received significantly higher devolution of funds during the NDA tenure compared to the Congress-led UPA period between 2004 and 2014.
He argued that several landmark infrastructure and industrial projects that shaped the State’s economy originated under BJP-led administrations. Citing examples, he pointed to the Golden Quadrilateral highway project that improved road connectivity, the establishment of TIDEL Park in Chennai that laid the foundation for the State’s IT boom, and the growth of automobile and electronics manufacturing clusters around the capital region.
He also highlighted welfare initiatives such as the ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’, ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’, ‘Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana’, and ‘Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana’, which he said strengthened rural infrastructure and living standards. Referring to official figures, he noted that rural tap water coverage in Tamil Nadu rose sharply after 2019, with lakhs of households receiving new connections.
On the India–US trade agreement, Prasad said the pact would create opportunities for small and medium enterprises and boost exports from industrial hubs in Tamil Nadu, accusing the DMK of opposing it for political reasons. With political exchanges intensifying ahead of the Assembly elections, Prasad urged the DMK to present comparative funding data from previous regimes, reiterating that central assistance has played a decisive role in Tamil Nadu’s development.
