DHARMAPURI: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Saturday criticized the TVK govt in Tamil Nadu for the mounting fiscal deficit and recurring power outages, asserting that AIADMK remains the only party genuinely addressing people’s grievances.EPS was speaking at a mass induction event in Dharmapuri, where cadres from various political outfits joined AIADMK. He contrasted his administration’s track record with that of the current regime.Terming the TVK’s rise to power an “accident,” Palaniswami targeted its fiscal management. “In just one month, the govt borrowed ₹28,000 crore. Just as a son inherits his father’s debt, the public will ultimately bear this massive financial burden. AIADMK resorted to borrowing only when it was essential,” Palaniswami said.Midway through his address, a sudden power outage plunged the hall into darkness, forcing organizers to switch to a generator. Seizing on the disruption, Palaniswami quipped: “This power cut is the hallmark of the current administration. Blackouts have become routine, whereas AIADMK ensured uninterrupted 24×7 electricity in the state.”Highlighting his regime’s welfare initiatives, Palaniswami cited the 7.5% preferential quota for govt school students in medical admissions, noting that it enabled more than 4,000 underprivileged aspirants to pursue MBBS courses.He pointed to the waiver of ₹12,110 crore in agricultural loans, stating that his regime treated agriculture and industrial growth as “two eyes.”Palaniswami criticized the previous DMK regime for keeping the ₹20cr international flower auction centre in Hosur locked, demanding its immediate opening for floriculture farmers.“Despite battling back-to-back crises like cyclone Gaja and the Covid-19 pandemic, AIADMK govt established 11 medical colleges and seven law colleges in its final year alone,” he said.
