Chidambaram attacks PM Modi on Tamil Nadu funds: ‘Ask a first year student of economics’
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday responded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remark stating that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government led by him gave three times more funds to Tamil Nadu than the past regimes.
In a post on X, the former Union finance minister wrote,”Hon’ble PM and Central ministers constantly say that they have given more money to TN in 2014-24 than was given in 2004-14. For example, Hon’ble PM said that his government has given for railway projects in TN seven times more money than before.”
“Ask a first-year student of economics. She will tell you that the ‘economic metric’ will always be higher than in the previous years. The GDP’s size is bigger now than before. The size of the central Budget is bigger every year than in the previous year. Government’s total expenditure is bigger every year than in the previous year.”
“You are one year older than in the previous year In terms of ‘numbers’, the number will be bigger, but is it higher in terms of proportion of GDP or in terms of proportion of total expenditure?” the Congress leader added.
What PM Modi said?
Addressing a gathering after inaugurating the New Pamban Bridge in Ramanathapuram, PM Modi said,”The infrastructure of Tamil Nadu is a top priority for the government. In the past decade, the state’s rail budget has increased more than sevenfold. Despite this significant growth, some people continue to complain without justification.”
“Before 2014, only ₹900 crore were allocated each year. You know who was the ‘karta-dharta’ of the INDI alliance at that time. However, this year, Tamil Nadu’s rail budget has exceeded ₹6000 crore.”
“Additionally, the Indian government is modernizing 77 railway stations, including the one in Rameswaram. In the past 10 years, under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, a lot of work has been done on village roads and highways. After 2014, with the help of the Central Government, around 4000 kilometres of roads have been built in Tamil Nadu…” PM Modi added.
