Jaya claiming credit for central schemes: Javadekar

Chennai

What is BJP’s strategy for TN election?  

The people of Tamil Nadu have placed their hopes on Modi’s good governance in the last two years. That’s our strength and we want to capitalise on that. Tea and coffee workers, the middle class segment, farmers, coconut growers and the youth all look up to him as a leader who will lead them to a better future.

Why is BJP, despite being a national party, weak in TN?  

When two parties with a nearly 80 per cent vote base have held sway for five decades, the emergence of a new  alternative will happen only slowly. But it will definitely happen, as in Delhi, where a party with no previous vote base came out on top. The party’s weakness in the state will be overcome by party workers consolidating their efforts in a constituency over five years. The BJP is working towards filling the vacuum that is now evident in the May poll.

Why is BJP lacking a bigger alliance this time?  

I spoke to all the NDA partners and it was decided that we would go it alone in the Assembly election in the state.

What are your views on the AIADMK manifesto?  

It is a manifesto of deceit. Promises made in 2011 were not kept. Jayalalithaa promised to overcome power issues in three weeks, but it was not done. The promised 20,000 industrial units did not materialise while 2,000 units downed shutters. Central government schemes were converted into state schemes. In rice distributed through the PDS, the central subsidy of Rs 32 per kilo was sidelined, while the state subsidy of Rs 3 was highlighted, and it became ‘Amma rice’. The Congress, DMK and AIADMK started the practice of naming schemes after living leaders, whereas BJP names them after the PM. Dravidian majors, who lived by TASMAC but now promise prohibition, pushed the state into drinking.  

With reference to the Public Distribution System (PDS) what do TN people need?  

People want coconut oil, but the PDS supplies only palm oil through which Jayalalithaa is only helping farmers in Malaysia. She should help TN farmers. At meetings, when I ask people what oil they need, they demand coconut oil which the TN government refuses to supply. This will help TN coconut farmers as coconut trees in TN are more than in Kerala.

‘Barcode will be issued for land mining’

Detailing on Centre’s initiatives for the state, Javadekar said, the union environment and forests ministry will map all rivers to find how much sand is deposited. Only this sand can be sold and purchasers will be given bar coded, secure receipts to track sand movement to prevent malpractice and fill official coffers. On the environmental front, he said project proposals awaiting environment clearance for more than 600 days during UPA rule are now cleared in less than 190 days. “Clearance for less than 40 HA projects is now done through regional offices where state officers are partners. Project approvals can be sought online and the progress tracked, thus ensuring transparency,” he said.