Stalin govt focusing on publicity stunt, missing investment opportunities: EPS

CHENNAI: Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami on Sunday slammed the DMK government by stating that Tamil Nadu, under Chief Minister M K Stalin-led DMK government, is witnessing a decline in foreign direct investment (FDI). He alleged that CM, in an attempt to mask his administration’s failures and the lack of foreign investment, has resorted to publicity stunts aimed at boosting his public image. The people of state would “gift defeat”to the DMK in the 2026 polls.

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) report for the fiscal year 2024–2025 exposes the CM’s “false claims” that TN is leading the nation in attracting FDI. The report indicates that Maharashtra and Karnataka together attracted 51% of the total FDI, while TN secured only 3.68 million dollars, placing it fifth on the list. This, he said, “exposes the incompetence of Stalin’s so-called model government.”

He also noted that the Centre had allocated Rs 1.5 lakh crore to enhance seaports and marine industries in coastal states. While AP, Gujarat, and Maharashtra have taken advantage of the scheme, the DMK government has failed to do so, he said.

Referring to DMK regime’s claims that the state economy has grown by 9.69%, Palaniswami pointed out that the industrial growth rate was only 7.96%, with agriculture recording a meagre 0.09% growth.

“We achieved higher growth rates in 2015-2016 and 2017-2018. Our government even registered better growth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, we did not seek media publicity,” he said, criticising the current regime for dragging the state backwards in several sectors.

Instead of focusing on publicity campaigns, the DMK government should prioritise improving infrastructure, streamlining procedures for ease of doing business, and ensuring transparent governance to attract FDI, he said.

Palaniswami further claimed that during the AIADMK regime between 2016 and 2021, steps were taken to establish semiconductor facilities in the state. However, the change in regime and the DMK’s "lethargic" approach, he alleged, resulted in the loss of that opportunity, with the industry instead moving to Gujarat and Assam.

He also remarked that even the sitting minister P T R Thiagarajan recently admitted that TN is lagging behind other southern states in industrial growth and said that the people of the state would give a fitting reply to this government in the forthcoming polls and gift them a defeat.