NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI, APRIL 8
The ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu has reitereated its earlier demand to release Rs. 9000-crore to combat COVID-19 at the virtual all-party meeting convened by the Prime Minister on Wednesday.
Rajya Sabha Member A. Navneethakrishnan took part in the meeting on bahelf of ruling AIADMK told reporters that “as Tamil Nadu is dependent on the northern States for groceries, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami wanted me to convey to the PM to ensure those trucks were not stopped at the borders and facilitate unhindered movement,” he said.
He had also requested the PM to grant Rs.9,000 crore to Tamil Nadu, as sought by Palaniswami, to combat the COVID-19 disease and deal with its aftermath.
In a recent letter to the Prime Minister, Palaniswami had said this should be in addition to the other forms of financial transfers to the states envisaged in the Union Budget and could be financed through borrowing from the Reserve Bank of India.
Expressing satisfaction over the steps taken by both the state and central governments, Navaneethakrishnan said the AIADMK would support all the initiatives of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre in fighting the spread of the virus.
Asked if the 21-day lockdown which commenced on March 24, would be extended, he replied “It is a decision which ought to be taken by the Chief Minister,” he said.
