Welfare schemes and projects worth over Rs 1,600 crore have been implemented by the ruling DMK since coming to power in Tamil Nadu proving wrong the "false campaign" that the government would neglect Coimbatore district, state Youth Welfare and Sports Development Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin said on Sunday.

Some opposition parties were campaigning that the DMK government will not provide any welfare schemes to the district as all the 10 MLAs elected in the 2021 assembly election from the region were from AIADMK and BJP, Udhayanidhi said at a meeting here in which he distributed welfare schemes and laid foundation stone for new projects. "However, Chief Minister M K Stalin had clearly stated that there would not be any partiality in providing welfare measures, since he considered all the voters, who voted for and against DMK, as one and kept his promises by implementing projects and schemes beneficial to the people of the district," the minister said.

Listing out various schemes being implemented by the government, he said measures that the previous AIADMK government could not implement during its 10-year rule were now being implemented by the DMK in the last 18 months. While the AIADMK government had given free power connection to 2.2 lakh farmers in 10 years, the present dispensation has given 1.5 lakh free connection during 18 months, Udhayanidhi pointed out.

With thriving pumps and motors, textile, and engineering industries, Coimbatore would soon become equal to Chennai and may even overtake it in development and growth, the minister opined. Electricity Minister Senthil Balaji chose the platform to reassure the agitating farmers of Annur in the district against the proposed industrial park in their area that the government will not acquire their land without prior permission.

He added that no polluting industries would come up in the land belonging to private persons. Earlier, Udhayanidhi laid the foundation stone for an artificial synthetic track at Nehru Stadium at a cost of Rs 6.55 crore and also for maintenance and renovation works at a cost of Rs 65.15 lakh.?