AIADMK leader and Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Saturday said the Kanniyakumari International Container Transhipment Terminal will not be allowed, as the people are against the project proposed by the Central government.

“Since the DMK and its political ally Congress are experts in hoodwinking people during elections to bag their votes by repeatedly spreading false information, I assure you once again that the Kanniyakumari International Container Transhipment Terminal will not be allowed,” Mr. Palaniswami promised while canvassing votes for the AIADMK and BJP candidates fielded in the district.

The Tamil Nadu government had already made it clear that any project opposed by local residents would not be allowed in any part of the State. Since the people of Kanniyakumari were against this project, the government too decided against allowing the container transshipment terminal in Kanniyakumari, the CM said. “The DMK and the Congress, who are experts in fabricating fake stories during the elections for the sake of fetching votes, have started the false campaign again to hoodwink the people. I appeal to you not to believe in this campaign” he claimed.

BJP candidate for Kanniyakumari Lok Sabha by-election and former Minister Pon. Radhakrishnan, who had earlier vowed to execute this project at any cost, was standing nearby, in the campaign vehicle, when Mr. Palaniswami spoke against the project.

‘Better coordination’

The Chief Minister said Kanniyakumari district should elect candidates of the ruling parties at the Centre and the State for better coordination between both the governments and to bring in new projects capable of giving employment to local residents while ensuring holistic development of the district.

“The voters of Kanniyakumari should give Mr. Radhakrishnan, who did good job when he was the Union Minister, another chance to serve them in a better way. Since neither the BJP nor the AIADMK had any representative from Kanniyakumari district as MP or MLAs, the delay in executing government schemes and welfare measures could be felt in the past. No one represented your grievances in the Assembly and in the Parliament,” Mr. Palaniswami contended.

While addressing voters in Thovaalai, he said voters should back the AIADMK as Tamil Nadu, under his leadership, had won several Central government awards for ensuring better roads, water management,100 lakh tonnes of food grain production, superior healthcare facilities, uninterrupted power, quality education, increasing gross enrolment ration to 49% in students’ admission in higher education, organ donation, maintenance of better law and order etc.

‘Land retrieved’

According to him, the AIADMK government has retrieved, since 2011, over 15,000 acres of land forcibly grabbed by the DMK men across Tamil Nadu between 2006 and 2011. “The DMK men, even when they are not in power, are threatening the traders, hoteliers and the businessmen and conducting ‘kangaroo courts’, even refusing to pay the bill for the food they enjoyed or the product they purchased,” Mr. Palaniswami claimed.

During his electioneering at Panagudi, Mr Palaniswami said his government had started 11 new medical colleges and 3 veterinary colleges in the past four years.

“We are for the betterment of Tamil Nadu while the DMK has become a ‘private firm’ functioning for the betterment of a family,” he said.