Daijiworld Media Network – Chennai

Chennai, Sep 26: Tamil Nadu Industries Minister TRB Rajaa on Thursday hit back at claims that Uttar Pradesh has outpaced Tamil Nadu in development, asserting that the northern state “lives” off tax contributions made by Tamil Nadu to the Centre.

Speaking to reporters, Rajaa said, “From where did UP get money? Is it internal development? Tamil Nadu accounts for 15% of India’s total factory workers and has secured investments worth about Rs 11.32 lakh crore in the last few years, creating 35 lakh jobs according to central government data. When national growth is 6–7%, Tamil Nadu has grown by 11.19% under Chief Minister M.K. Stalin.”

The minister added, “The funds received by Uttar Pradesh are the Union government’s largesse, but essentially, it comes from Tamil Nadu’s tax contributions. When we give one rupee in tax, we get back only 29 paise—the rest goes to states like Uttar Pradesh. To claim surplus on this is wrong.”

Rajaa also contrasted the status of women in Tamil Nadu with that in northern states. Addressing an event at a women’s college, he noted, “In northern states, women are usually asked only about their husband’s job. In Tamil Nadu, women are asked about their education and career—a result of a century of work by Dravidian movement leaders like Periyar, C.N. Annadurai, M. Karunanidhi, M.G. Ramachandran, and J. Jayalalithaa.”

Highlighting Tamil Nadu’s achievements in education, Rajaa said, “Out of India’s top 100 educational institutions, 17 are in Tamil Nadu, thanks to sustained Dravidian leadership.”

He further pointed out women’s participation in industry, stating, “Of all women working in organised sector factories across India, 43% are from Tamil Nadu. This is an extremely proud number and shows our commitment to women’s empowerment.”

The minister urged PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss, who had claimed Uttar Pradesh’s superior growth, to acknowledge the contributions of Tamil Nadu and focus on the state’s welfare.