Centre's contributions to Tamil Nadu downplayed, says Minister

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman criticized the Tamil Nadu government for ignoring the central government's contributions to the state. She accused the state administration of diverting attention to issues like the three-language policy instead of focusing on development. Sitharaman noted the various ongoing and future projects in Tamil Nadu that are supported by the Union government. She emphasized that the central government remains committed to enhancing development in the state. The Finance Minister also refuted claims that Tamil Nadu pays more taxes without receiving adequate returns, stating, "This is wrong." She highlighted that Tamil Nadu has more than 47 manufacturing units benefiting from various federal schemes. The state has been a significant participant in the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for large-scale electronics manufacturing, with seven units approved. Additionally, Tamil Nadu has firms approved for the PLI scheme for advanced battery technology. Sitharaman mentioned a recent announcement by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav about two new electronics manufacturing clusters in Tamil Nadu, with an investment of over ₹1,100 crores. She pointed out that Tamil Nadu hosts a large number of manufacturing units under the PLI-auto scheme, with 46 out of 257 units in India located in the state. Finally, she also referenced the Modi government's plan to establish the world's first Tiruvalluvar center in Singapore and the launch of multi-language translations of classical Tamil literature for public benefit during a cultural event.