Lok Sabha elections 2019: AIADMK released its manifesto in Chennai today. (PTI)
Ahead of elections, Tamil Nadu's ruling party AIADMK released its manifesto in Chennai today, part of which is a national poverty eradication initiative that will be named after J Jayalalithaa.
Releasing the manifesto, AIADMK coordinator and Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said the party would "vigorously pursue" the Amma National Poverty Eradication Initiative (ANPEI).
"Direct transfer of Rs 1,500 per month will be made to the poor-destitute, widows without income, differently-abled citizens, landless agricultural labourers, rural and urban manual labourers. The scheme should not be difficult to implement," the party said.
Reiterating the party's stand the Chief Minister said that AIADMK would press for the release of the seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case and strive for the scrapping of the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test for medical admissions.
"AIADMK will urge the Government of India and the president to give due direction to the Governor of Tamil Nadu for release of seven Tamil convicts as ordered by the Supreme Court and approved by the cabinet of Tamil Nadu government," he said.
On the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, AIADMK said it would press the Centre to take up the issue of "massacre" of civilian Tamils in the island republic during the peak of hostilities, with the International Criminal Court at The Hague.
The party said it would also urge the Centre to implement river interlinking programmes like the Cauvery-Godaveri project.
Tamil Nadu's ruling party said AIADMK said it will also ask the Centre to take away the price-fixing power from the consortium of oil companies and take it upon itself to evolve a people friendly policy. "Frequent increase in prices of petroleum products by oil marketing companies have been augmenting the cost of all essential commodities, consumer goods and transport cost to all commuters, increasing the cost of living of consumers," it said.
On FDI, the party said it would urge the Union government to give up the policy of allowing foreign direct investment in retail to protect small and tiny retailers, reflecting Jayalalithaa's firm stand on this subject.
Its other promises included urging the Centre to establish a national commission for the welfare of fishermen.