TN CM leaves for 3-nation foreign tour to attract investors

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami embarked on a three-nation tour on Wednesday in a bid to woo investors from those countries to invest in the state. The chief minister, who will be travelling to the U.K, U.S and Dubai during his two-week sojourn, hit out at M K Stalin for criticising his foreign trip and asked the DMK chief to clarify about his "frequent" foreign visits.

Stalin shot back, saying that as deputy chief minister earlier, he had travelled abroad and had received funds for the Metro Rail project and the Hogenakkal integrated water scheme. Stalin also found fault with Palaniswami comparing the former's "private" foreign visits to that of the chief minister's official one.

Palaniswami, the first state chief minister to travel abroad in decades, insisted that his voyage was only meant to attract investments and meet potential investors as part of it. "This trip is to seek more investments for Tamil Nadu. I am visiting the U.S, U.K and Dubai to meet investors to invite them to start new businesses in the state," he told reporters prior to leaving for London, his first stop, from here.

Responding to a query on some opposition parties criticising his foreign visit, he said "they always do so." Training his guns on Stalin, the Leader of the Opposition in the assembly, Palaniswami sought to know if the DMK chief had ever "clarified" on his "frequent" overseas trips. "Mr Stalin frequently goes abroad...why does he go? He says it is for personal reason. What is the personal reason? What is the mystery behind him going to foreign countries often? He has never clarified through the media," Palaniswami said.

"I am not going for any personal reasons...I am a farmer, have to strive for progress, bring in big industries, ensure jobs for (TN) youth and economic growth," he pointed out. He further said that many investors, apparently from foreign countries, had suggested to him during the Global Investors Meet (GIM) 2019 held here that he should travel abroad to attract more investments to the state.

He was visiting these countries based on their invitation, Palaniswami added. Reacting sharply to Palaniswami's jibe, Stalin said he had only questioned the status of various investment proposals made in GIM 2015 (under the late Jayalalithaa) and 2019, in the backdrop of the chief minister's latest foreign visit.

He recalled that prior to GIM 2019, a couple of state Ministers had flown abroad to meet investors and said it would have been proper for Palaniswami also to have made such a visit then. "Have Rs 5.42 lakh crore (proposed) investments in the two editions of GIM been realised? Not at all. The announcements regarding investments have become a mere mirage," Stalin alleged in a statement.

The DMK, therefore, has been insisting that the state government release a white paper on this issue, he said. There were questions from many quarters as to why the chief minister chose to fly abroad after the GIM 2019, Stalin added.

Referring to Palaniswami's jibe on Stalin's "frequent" foreign visits, the DMK President said he had earlier made official trips as deputy chief minister and ensured funds for the said projects. "During the DMK regime (apparently 2006-11), we could attract investments without holding any Global Investors Meet ...the fact that many came forward to invest then shows the honesty in our government and quick decision making on approvals," he said.

"My private travels are transparent. It doesn't behove a chief minister to compare (foreign) visits undertaken with family with that of (the cm's) official one. The comparison is not proper," Stalin added. The chief minister should explain about the "mysteries behind his foreign tour," the DMK leader said.

During his foreign trip, Palaniswami is slated to visit London, New York, San Fransisco and Dubai, among others and meet entrepreneurs and investors to invite them to set shop in Tamil Nadu. The state government had earlier said that besides attracting investments, the Chief Minister would also study new technologies in various fields like Health and Renewable Energy to implement them in Tamil Nadu.

The chief minister is scheduled to return on September 10. Earlier, he was given a warm send-off by his senior party colleagues and functionaries..