This is Dravidian model, not Gujarat model: Stalin

Chennai: Refuting charges that the govt wanted to cover up a polluted canal with cloth to hide it from public sight during his Madurai visit, chief minister M K Stalin said on Monday that he had inspected the canal and issued instructions to clean it.

"This is not a BJP model govt to cover up truth from world leaders using cloth. This is Dravidian model govt which uncovers cloaks, finds out what was being hidden and finds the solution for the problem," Stalin said in a letter to DMK cadres.

Stalin was referring to criticism from opposition parties that cloth was draped to block the polluted Panthalkudi canal from public view during chief minister's road show in Madurai.

"Following the reports in media as well as criticism on social media that a canal was covered with cloth, I issued directions to remove the cloth. During my visit to the canal in the evening along with ministers Palanivel Thiaga Rajan and P Moorthy and district officials, I inquired about the cleaning process undertaken in the canal and directed them to expedite the process," Stalin said.

He said those who criticise the DMK govt would have realised that the govt was working to find solutions to problems faced by people.

However, AIADMK accused the govt of polluting water bodies in Madurai and trying to cover it up. Addressing reporters in Madurai, former minister Sellur Raju said the AIADMK govt had built a sewage treatment plant to prevent pollution of water in Panthalkudi canal and river Vaigai.

"We built that plant to ensure that the Panthalkudi channel stayed clean. But now, in the name of development of Goripalayam flyover, they have scrapped it. This is not development—it's destruction," he said.

The STP can treat two MLD a day and recently the Madurai corporation has allocated 1 crore to restore the facility after the flyover works are completed, he said.