Madurai, Oct 2 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K.Stalin on Saturday became the first
CM to participate in a grama sabha meeting at the Pappapatti reserved panchayat near
here on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanthi celebrations and announced a slew of welfare
measures for the people.
The Grama Sabha meeting could not be held for the last two years.
Addressing the gathering after hearing the grievances of the people and taking a pledge,
Mr Stalin said his aim was to make the Tamil Nadu the number one state in the country
in all spheres.
Stating that he was voted as the best performing CM in a media survey, he said his aim
was to make TN the numero uno state in the country in all spheres.
Observing that he chose visit Pappapatti village as it stood for social equality, Mr Stalin
said all the promises made by the DMK in its election manifesto would be fulfilled.
'We have honoured several promises made in the manifesto and also implemented
many schemes which were not announced in the manifesto', he said and promised
that all the grievances of the Pappapatti village will be redressed and their needs
fulfilled.
The Reserved Panchayat became notorious for not allowing people belonging to the
Scheduled Castes to become the head of the caste Hindu-dominated rural local body
for nearly 10 years.
On his way to to Pappapatti panchayat after landing in this temple town, Mr Stalin took
time off, came out of his car, and inter-acted with the women, who were cultivating crops
in a farm land and heard their grievances.
Along with Pappapatti, Keeripatti and Nattamangalam in the district and Kottakatchiyendal
in Virudhunagar had become an eye-sore after local caste Hindus obstructed the process
of electing the president, after the panchayats were reserved for SCs in 1996.
The election could not be held for 10 years, as eligible persons were not allowed to file
nominations. However, when the district administration tried to initiate penal action, the
caste Hindus made their SC representatives file nominations, elected them and later
forced them to resign.
After the DMK came back to power in 2006, the then Chief Minister, M.Karunanidhi and
the then Local Administration Minister Stalin conducted the elections to all the four reserved
panchayats without triggering any social tension.
UNI GV 1635