Palaniswami, Annamalai slam DMK as Korean firm moves out of TN

Chennai, Nov 15 (PTI) AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami and former TN BJP chief K Annamalai on Saturday criticised the DMK government after a South Korean company, which had initially planned to invest in Tamil Nadu, decided to set up operations in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.

In a social media post, Annamalai said, "While TN CM M K Stalin and his Industries Minister (TRB Rajaa) are in deep slumber, the investments that they proudly announced are moving to neighbouring States." Continuing his tirade against the DMK, Annamalai said, "The TN Industries Minister (TRB Rajaa) announced that the South Korean company Hwaseung has committed an investment of Rs 1,720 crore to establish a large-scale non-leather footwear manufacturing facility, which will generate 20,000 direct jobs. In less than 3 months, Hwaseung has now decided to take this investment to Andhra Pradesh." The former IPS officer also shared a news article on the Korean firm moving to Andhra Pradesh.

"At a time when other States are moving swiftly to attract global manufacturing, Tamil Nadu is losing ground due to complacency and administrative apathy. From being a land of opportunities, DMK has transformed Tamil Nadu into a land of missed opportunities," he charged.

Meanwhile, Palaniswami questioned the benefits of the numerous Global Investors Meets conducted by the state government domestically and overseas.

"Those companies which originally committed investment in Tamil Nadu have now backed off and it is necessary to identify the reasons behind it," he said in a social media post on Saturday.

"Tamil Nadu was a land of opportunities for industries. Today, it is a land of missed chances -- the legacy of M K Stalin's regime. The government has betrayed the youths hoping for new jobs with industries opting to set up base in Tamil Nadu." Palaniswami promised a future turnaround under AIADMK, saying, "The story is not over. Tamil Nadu will rise, rebuild and reclaim its industrial greatness under forthcoming AIADMK regime. Those companies which had left Tamil Nadu will come back again to invest in the State soon after AIADMK forms government in 2026." Responding to the criticisms, state Industries Minister TRB Rajaa defended the governemnt's approach saying, "Investment promotion is not a daily game. It is about balancing the states need for certain sectors, the jobs that will get created." "Our Chief Minister ( M K Stalin) and his aim for Distributed Growth is where our heart lies. Hence incentives and grounding of investments depends heavily on where one is willing to set shop. Across India and abroad governments play to their strengths and needs of the population," he said in a social media post.

"Tamil Nadu is focused on specific value of jobs at different areas based on the availability of different types of skills of our labour. Tamil Nadu is the most trust worthy and the most industrialised state in India. We are a manufacturing powerhouse like no other.

"We know our value, we know our strengths, and we will act like it. While some proxies of the opposition want to belittle the hardworking government and it's officers and insult the hardworking people of the state, we choose to shut their venomous mouths with announcements of more investments coming soon," he added. PTI VIJ VIJ ROH