Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu has accused the Union government of "systematic and deliberate discrimination" against the state and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi respond to ten questions on what he described as the Centre's "biased fiscal policies" and erosion of cooperative federalism.
Tamil Nadu BJP Vice President Jayaprakash denied the allegations. "The Prime Minister looks at India as a whole and he has no time for such petty politics against opposition-ruled states," he told NDTV.
"The state Finance Minister should compare Tamil Nadu with another developed state like Karnataka or Maharashtra and not with a developing state like Uttar Pradesh. It's like comparing apple with oranges," he added.
Thennarasu has accused the Centre of repeatedly denying Tamil Nadu its share of funds while favouring BJP-ruled states in allocations for infrastructure, welfare, and development projects.
"The Union government is punishing performing states like Tamil Nadu for their efficiency," he said in the state assembly today, calling the approach "a betrayal of federal fairness."
The Minister said Tamil Nadu's share in central taxes had been steadily declining and listed ten questions for PM Modi.
The Centre, he alleged, has withheld nearly Rs 4,000 crore in education funds while releasing only Rs 450 crore under the Right to Education scheme. "How can the Centre talk about a 'Viksit Bharat' when it denies funds for children's education in one of India's most progressive states?" he asked.
On drinking water projects, the Minister said the state was owed Rs 3,407 crore under the Jal Jeevan Mission.
Thennarasu also highlighted what he called the Centre's "selective approach" to infrastructure development, noting that "not one of the eight new expressways announced by the Union government has been sanctioned for Tamil Nadu".
In contrast, he said, "states like Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra have cornered all the major highway projects."
On railway allocations, the minister said while Uttar Pradesh alone had received Rs 19,858 crore for the current year, Tamil Nadu had been sanctioned a combined amount of Rs 19,068 crore over the last three years. Also, while the Centre is yet to approve metro rail projects for Madurai and Coimbatore -- only Chennai has metro service -- UP has got approval for metro in multiple cities, he claimed.
He also cited the Rs 81,803 crore owed by the National Highways Authority of India to Tamil Nadu. "The Centre talks about progress but owes Tamil Nadu the very funds that fuel development," he said.
Among his 10 questions, Thennarasu demanded answers on: The sharp drop in Tamil Nadu's tax share; non-release of GST compensation; the pending dues from NHAI; delays in World Bank and ADB-assisted schemes; the absence of new industrial corridors; cuts in central scheme allocations; the denial of disaster relief; curbs on state borrowing limits; and the overall dilution of cooperative federalism.
"Tamil Nadu is not asking for favours, only for fairness. Fiscal justice is not charity, it is a constitutional right," he said.
He ended with a sharp warning that the state will continue to raise its voice against fiscal injustice.
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