After enjoying loan waiver of ₹ 16 lakh crore, corporate firms collect toll from TNSTC buses, says Appavu
During an informal chat with the reporters here on Wednesday, Mr. Appavu, when asked about his reaction on the Court's order empowering 4 toll plazas in southern Tamil Nadu not to allow the TNSTC buses for the toll arrears to the tune of ₹276 crore, said the TNSTC, which operates buses to remote villages without increasing the fare even though the diesel is being sold at ₹92 a litre, also ply free buses for the women and the students.
The Tamil Nadu Government bears this cost by paying over ₹3,700 crore a year to the TNSTC.
Apart from this, the timely disbursal of salary to the TNSTC and State Express Transport Corporation workers had been ensured since 2021.
'Mr. Narendra Modi, if he is really concerned about the women empowerment and prosperity and the continued education of the children, should instruct the Ministry of Highways not to collect toll from the TNSTC buses for its yeomen service. However, he is supporting only these Corporate firms collecting toll from the TNSTC buses and giving them loan waiver to the tune of over 16 lakh crore. Mr. Modi also refuses to release Tamil Nadu's due share under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme and Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan citing the reason that the State had rejected the Centre's New Education Policy,' Mr. Appavu slammed.
He also criticised the Indian Railways for having posted North Indians, who do not know Tamil, the local language, as gatekeepers at railway level crossings. 'Even after this serious issue has resulted in an accident killing three innocent children, the railway officials have not realised the gravity of the problem,' the Speaker said.
He justified the use of temple funds for opening new schools and colleges for providing quality education to the children, especially students form poor families.
Mr. Appavu also ridiculed Opposition Leader and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami's claim that the Stalin-led government's policies had strangulated the micro, small and medium industries. 'The State had 14.17 lakh MSME industries till 2021 and the present government has facilitated the creation of 17.95 lakh new MSME units in the past four years alone,' he said.
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