Chennai:
In a bid to step up her campaign against DMK government ahead of next year's assembly polls, AIADMK chief Jayalalithaa will hit the streets against the ruling party once again, this time at Tiruchirappally, heading a protest demonstration against price-rise and DMKs 'failure' to tackle it.
'I will lead the protest at Tiruchirappally on August 24 against the DMK government which has failed to control price rise and illegal mining of sand,' among other issues, she said in a party statement in Chennai.
Skyrocketing prices and the power cut situation had affected the overall growth of Tamil Nadu's economy and even agricultural produce had decreased, she said.
"In 2005-06, when AIADMK was in power, more than 52,000 tonnes of rice was produced in the state on over 20,000 hectares of land but this had come down to over 50,000 tonnes in 2007-08 on over 17,000 hectares of land, during the current
DMK regime,' she said.
Referring to inter-state water disputes, Jayalalithaa charged the state government with failing to ensure 10 tmcft of Tamil Nadu's share of Cauvery water for the month of June from Karnataka, as directed by Cauvery River Water Tribunal.
"Besides, Karnataka has to release 34 tmcft of water in July but not a drop of water has been received so far. The plight of farmers dependent on groundwater is equally bad due to depleting groundwater table because of illegal and excessive mining of sand (from river beds)," she said.
Raking up the power cut situation in the state, she said that has also affected the farming sector as they were unable to use the motor pump sets for irrigation.
Fishing industry was also affected by issues like attacks on Tamil Nadu fishermen allegedly by the Sri Lankan navy .
She slammed Centres proposed Marine Fisheries Bill, kept in pending following opposition and reservation from some coastal states and fishermen bodies, which aims to cap the geographical fishing area to 12 nautical miles and proposes penal action including imprisonment and fine of Rs nine lakh for violators and said this was detrimental to fishermen's' interests.
'The recent petrol prices hike, price rise, deteriorating law and order situation, issues like spurious and fake drugs are all affecting people belonging to all sections of the society and the DMK government had failed to mitigate their
sufferings,' she alleged.
She said she will spearhead the Tiruchirappally protest highlighting all these issues.
On July 13, Jayalalithaa had virtually launched her party's campaign for next year's Assembly elections in the state from Coimbatore at a protest demonstration, where she had urged people to throw out the "corrupt" DMK government and informed her party men she would take care of the alliance.