Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Immediate job is to clean up financial mess: Jayalalithaa

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI March 2. Stressing the importance of governance and administration over ``politics'', the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, today said her first priority was to pull Tamil Nadu out of its present financial crisis.

Talking to reporters at the Secretariat after assuming office, Ms. Jayalalithaa said questions on political realignments could wait. ``My immediate priority is to pull Tamil Nadu out of the financial mess and put the economy back on the rails.'' As no election was due in the immediate future, there was no need for thinking about political alliances.

Also there would be no ``political vendetta'', but action would be taken against those who had indulged in irregularities.

In this context, she said the DMK Government had framed her in corruption cases, but her stand was vindicated by the High Court acquittal.

The Government would outline the steps to be taken to overcome the financial crisis in the Governor address and later in the budget. Tamil Nadu was already an attractive destination for investment, and it would continue to be so.

On the Cauvery issue, Ms. Jayalalithaa said there was no change in the Government stand. While declining to comment on arguments before the tribunal, she said there would be no compromise on Tamil Nadu's rights in any court or tribunal.

Ms. Jayalalithaa denied that she was ``mentally depressed'' while facing cases in the last five years. ``Had I been mentally depressed, I would not have been sitting here''. Actually, the whole country praised her for being ``brave'' while facing the cases, she pointed out.

To a question on top officials being drawn from the northern States, she said Tamil Nadu would have to do with those in the State cadre. But she dismissed suggestions that these officials did not know Tamil.

Her acquittal in corruption cases and the verdict in the Andipatti byelection provided the much-needed stability, a pre-requisite for development and growth. However, she said, she did not feel anything different on being sworn in a third time.

The first file Ms. Jayalalithaa signed provided for drinking water supply to all districts barring Chennai. The scheme, to be implemented with a Rs.158-crore loan from the Life Insurance Corporation, had a Rs.98-crore component for completing the Sedapatti drinking water project, one of her promises during the campaign in Andipatti.

The second file she signed was for measures to make Tamil Nadu malnutrition-free in the next four years. The scheme would cost Rs.63.11 crores per year, benefiting about 12 lakh children. Grama sabhas and local bodies would be involved in the implementation of the scheme.

It provided for more nutritious food for children at anganwadis.

Children would be given take-home food and mothers trained to prepare low-cost nutritious food. Mothers would be encouraged to adopt family planning.

The scheme would involve the departments of Social Welfare, Health and Education.

Ms. Jayalalithaa later met partymen, who had come from Andipatti, at the Secretariat and posed for photographs.

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