DMK promises to scrap NEET, implement Sethusamudram project

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Tuesday released its election manifesto, two days after the party announced its candidates for the Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu.

In an attempt to woo student voters, the party promised to scrap the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET) and assured steps for waiver of all education loans taken by students.

Nearly 1.41 lakh students from Tamil Nadu have registered for NEET 2019, which will be held in May.

The party also promised to fight for the return of old pension scheme, reintroduction of control prices of petrol and diesel, and abolishing toll fee in highways.

The DMK made a promise to make all efforts release all seven killers of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. “The DMK urges the Central and State governments to take appropriate action to release on humanitarian grounds the seven persons who were convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case and are languishing in prison for more than 27 years,” Stalin promised while reading out the manifesto. 

The DMK manifesto also promised to work towards abolishing Article 356 that allows the Central Government to dismiss a democratically-elected government in states. 

It pledged to explore possibilities to bring Madurai, Tiruchirapalli and Coimbatore under the Metro map. The party also promised to implement the controversial Sethusamudram project which has been stalled for past 12 years.

Stating that the party is for maintaining a healthy Centre-state relationship, the DMK said it would work towards establishing Regional Council of States, declaring Tamil as co-official language in all Central government offices in Tamil Nadu. It also promised on accepting Tamil as court language of Madras High Court and pushing for reservation in appointment of judges in all courts. Making it a point that already 150 countries have abolished death penalty, the DMK manifesto said that it would urge the Central government to bring in suitable amendments to the IPC for the total abolition of death sentence.

The manifesto also promised to urge for a probe into the purchase of Rafale fighter planes, enquiry into seizure of containers with huge currency of Rs 570 crore, and a CBI probe into Kodanadu Estate murder and robbery. 

The party said it would also urge for a full-fledged statehood for Puducherry.

The opposition party called for a separate budget for agriculture and a hike of Income Tax exemption upto Rs 8 lakh.

The DMK is contesting in 20 Lok Sabha seats in the state this time, leaving the remaining 19 seats to for its allies. The Congress will contest in nine seats in Tamil Nadu and in the lone constituency in Puducherry.

On Sunday, the DMK had released the list of candidates which included Rajya Sabha MP M.K. Kanimozhi, Union ministers Dayanidhi Maran and A. Raja.
 

Highlights of DMK manifesto

• South Indian rivers will be connected 

 

• Education will be brought under state subject

 

• NEET will abolished

 

• Education loans will be waived off 

 

• Steps will be taken to introduce reservation in private sector

 

• All Sri Lankan refugees will be given citizenship 

 

• Highway tolls will be abolished 

 

• Will take steps to curb social media abuse

 

• Efforts will be taken to release the seven convicts in Rajiv Gandhi murder case

 

• CBI probe into Kodanadu Estate Heist 

 

• Full fledged statehood for Puducherry 

 

• Implementation of Sethu Samudhram project 

 

• Compensation to victims of demonetisation 

 

• Petrol, diesel and gas prices will be kept under control. Administration pricing mechanism will be implemented

 

• Law will be implanted to curb human trafficking 

 

• Tamil will be made official language in Central government offices in Tamil Nadu

 

• Will drop Chennai- Salem 8-lane highway project (CM EPS’ pet project). Instead, all existing highways between Chennai and Salem will be widened. 

 

• Second rocket launching centre from Kulasekarapattinam 

 

• Free rail facility for school and college students 

 

• Create more jobs and fill up all existing vacancies in all central govt departments

 

With inputs from Lakshmi Subramanian from Chennai