AIADMK's functionaries to meet in Chennai on June 24, 25
The AIADMK's district secretaries and district-wise point persons will hold deliberations in Chennai on June 24 and 25 as part of the party's preparations for the Assembly poll to be held next year. Party's general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami will chair the discussions.
Meanwhile, in a separate statement, the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) founder T.T.V. Dhinakaran pulled up the DMK government for, what he called, its apathetic approach towards those who had recruited persons for extremist organisations. He referred to the arrest of two persons by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Coimbatore. He also criticised the government for the reported crash of ceiling of an office of the panchayat union office in Thiruvidaimaruthur, Thanjavur district.
Separately, the ADMK Workers' Rights Retrieval Committee coordinator, O. Panneerselvam, demanded the payment of ₹ 25,000 per acre to mango-growing farmers, who were affected by mismatch in the demand-supply situation.
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India Gazette
30 minutes ago
- India Gazette
Political parties divided on 'One Nation, One Election'; people support the idea: BJP's Jai Ram Thakur
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He also recommended a more uniform legislative structure across states. 'I also suggested that either all states should have Legislative Councils or none at all. This inconsistency should be addressed,' he added, noting that the committee took this recommendation seriously. Thakur criticised the opposition for opposing the bill purely from a party-interest perspective. 'We must now think about the nation's interest, not just party advantage. Repeated elections waste time and public money. We must welcome this reform,' he said. Jai Ram Thakur thanked the Union Government for Rs 2,006 crore in disaster relief to Himachal Pradesh. Thakur expressed gratitude to the Union Government for releasing Rs 2006.40 crore under disaster relief and restoration efforts following the devastating floods in 2023. 'Earlier, some claimed that the Centre had not helped Himachal after the floods. But now the state has received around Rs 2,000 crore from NDRF and SDRF. I thank Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Modi for granting Rs 2,006 crore, which includes Rs 533 crore already released and the rest to come,' he said. He called out the Congress government for failing to ensure proper distribution of aid. 'Despite this substantial help, eligible beneficiaries still haven't received the full benefits. This raises serious questions. The aid should reach the right people, not just a few,' Thakur said. 'Congress's habit is to show ingratitude. Even when help arrives, they downplay it or shift the goalposts,' he said. Thakur, on the controversy over the Agriculture minister's resignation rumours, said that if a senior minister has to reach this state, it makes us understand the bad state of the government. On the social media post by Agriculture Minister Chander Kumar's son, which claimed that the minister will be resigning. 'This only shows the internal state of Congress. 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Time of India
6 hours ago
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BJP govt's refusal to release Keeladi report an attack on Tamil culture: CM
Chennai: Chief minister M K Stalin said the Union govt's refusal to publish Keeladi report even after two years of its submission was an attack on Tamil culture. "The Union BJP government, which seeks to suppress the cultural pride of Tamils by delaying the release of Keeladi excavation findings, has returned the final report submitted two years ago citing the need for additional evidence. This is a blatant attack by the BJP regime on Tamil culture," he said in a letter to cadres. Stalin said the Union govt's decision to turn down the report despite scientific backing, even as it continues to promote the 'imaginary' Saraswati civilisation which lacks scientific evidence, speaks about 'BJP's hatred for TN'. "Till now, the BJP has not been able to prove the existence of Saraswati civilization through any scientific methods. On the other hand, every artifact unearthed from the Keeladi, has undergone rigorous internationally accepted scientific analysis," he said. Stalin also hit out at the AIADMK, alleging the party was silent despite Tamil cultural identity being suppressed. "Keeladi excavations took place when the AIADMK was in power in Tamil Nadu. However, the AIADMK has remained silent on the racial and linguistic hegemony shown by BJP by rejecting the Keeladi findings," he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Stalin said AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami was silent because he had mortgaged his party to BJP. He charged that a former AIADMK minister had gone to the extent of describing Keeladi, a Tamil civilization as 'Bharat civilization,' in a bid to please the BJP. Stalin said that TN govt has proven, through international studies on the antiquity of iron, that Tamil culture dates back more than 5,300 years. "It was the Dravidian model govt that released those findings. Yet, not a single tweet has been made by the Prime Minister or any BJP leader regarding the findings that establish the ancientness of Tamil culture," he said.
The Hindu
7 hours ago
- The Hindu
Tamil Nadu mango farmers: DMK-AIADMK spat highlights need for fair price
The ongoing political spat between the DMK and the AIADMK over mango, the king of all fruits, brings to the fore the issues of ensuring fair price to farmers and providing value addition in the marketing of the crop. Complaining about the DMK regime's 'lack of response' to issues of mango growers, the principal Opposition party is to hold a demonstration in Natham of Dindigul district on Friday. On an average, the State grows mango on 1.46 lakh hectares with an annual production of around 9.5 lakh tonnes. There was a perceptible fall in production only during the COVID-19 pandemic year (2020-21). While the State's share in terms of area is around 6% of the national average, it contributes about 4% of national production. Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Dindigul, Theni and Tiruvallur are the major mango-growing districts in the State. According to Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA – a body under the control of the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industries), Tamil Nadu is known for its varieties - Alphonso, Totapuri or Bangalora, Banganapalli and Neelum. The State government refers to other varieties, too, such as Imam Pasand, Rumani and Senthura. However, at the all-India level, Tamil Nadu is considered a major mango-growing State. Among the southern States that make it to the toppers' list are Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana, with Uttar Pradesh in the north leading the pack. Due to mismatch in demand and supply, farmers complain that the private sector offers them only ₹8 to ₹9 per kg, as against their demand of ₹20 per kg. AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, in a statement issued on Wednesday, quoted a rate of ₹5 per kg. P.S. Masilamani, general secretary of the Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam, affiliated to the CPI, suggests that the State government follow the example of Andhra Pradesh in providing a subsidy of ₹4 per kg. K. Ramasamy, former Vice-Chancellor of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, also supports the idea of the State government's intervention in procurement. As the State has enough cold storage facilities, the procured mangoes can be kept there, he says, adding that after carrying out value addition, the authorities can arrange for the sale of such products, including exports. 'If there is a huge glut, the government can even think of providing mango juice to schoolchildren once a week for a limited period,' the academician says. The government says it has been closely following the developments, and two rounds of talks were arranged by the Krishnagiri Collector between the farmers and representatives of the mango pulp industry, according to Agriculture Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam. As the talks did not yield results, the Agricultural Production Commissioner-Agriculture Secretary on June 16 held a discussion with the industry. As a sequel to the meeting, the industry has started procuring the variety of Bangalora, used for juice, the Minister adds, expressing the hope that the procurement price would gradually increase, and it would go on till the second week of August. Though Mr. Panneerselvam's statement does not mention any rate, he assures the farmers that the government has been taking steps to ensure a profit for the growers. His colleague and Food Minister R. Sakkarapani, referring to the government's measures, questions the need for any agitation by the AIADMK. A veteran policymaker emphasises that the State government comes out with a strategy paper in respect of all perishable fruits and vegetables, detailing measures to be taken by the authorities to absorb the surplus, including plans for adequate processing facilities.
