CHENNAI: Industries Minister TRB Rajaa informed the House on Thursday that the State is at the forefront of generating employment for women in the country, accounting for 41% of the total women workforce, in response to ex-minister P Thangamani’s charges.

The government is now decentralising industrial development to generate employment, particularly for women, with an aim to ensure jobs for women closer to their native places, said the minister in response to the AIADMK MLA’s concerns about unemployment in the State.

Thangamani initiated the debate by highlighting recent incidents, such as parents selling a baby for Rs 4 lakh in Erode and 2 children getting sold in Thanjavur. While acknowledging the government’s efforts to improve the State’s economy and employment opportunities, he stressed that these disturbing incidents indicate that unemployment and poverty still affect many people in the state.

Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu intervened, stating that Tamil Nadu has the highest proportion of women in the workforce in the country. He added that the State is evolving to encourage women to become entrepreneurs, with the government announcing a scheme to empower 1 lakh women as entrepreneurs in the fiscal year 2025-2026.

‘Most int’l industries prefer TN’

On the topic of the Samsung workers’ protest, Thangamani said the government should have addressed the protest immediately rather than allowing it to drag on, thereby creating an illusion that the State is not conducive to industry.

In response, Minister Rajaa countered, saying that the Chief Minister had deployed four ministers to engage in talks with both the management and the workers, as well as the CITU. Despite a language barrier in holding talks with the management of the company, the government successfully reached an amicable solution to the protest within 10 days. He stressed that the recent protests were for different reasons. “TN has the highest number of Korean and Japanese companies in the country,” said the minister, dismissing the AIADMK legislator’s claims.

Ruckus over State debt

Assembly also saw a debate over the State’s debt, which has now surpassed Rs 9 lakh crore. Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu refuted Thangamani’s charges that the AIADMK had effectively managed TN economy despite COVID lockdown and revenue losses.

Thangamani also alleged that the current government had taken loans amounting to Rs 4 lakh crore over the past four years. Finance Minister said that TN has the leverage to avail 28% of State GSD, and said debt was within limits.