Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa will call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 14 during her one-day visit to the National Capital, according to a Government Press release on Wednesday.
This is Jayalalithaa’s first visit to New Delhi after her victory in the recently held Assembly elections. It is customary on the part of Chief Ministers of States to call on national leaders after assuming power.
The release said the Chief Minister would be holding discussions with the Prime Minister on important issues related to Tamil Nadu. Though the release is silent about the issues which would come for discussion, the harassment of Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri lankan Navy would be one of the top agendas in the scheduled meeting.
It is also believed that Jayalalithaa may press the Centre for more funds to tide over the financial burdens caused by the 2015 December floods which ravaged five northern districts of the State. She may also take up with the Prime Minister the concerns and apprehensions of Tamil Nadu vis-à-vis the Goods and Services Tax which is pending approval in the Upper House.
The Chief Minister had written two strongly worded letters to the Prime Minister about the sufferings of the fishermen from the State who are arrested and their boats seized by the Sri lankan Navy. In her recent letter, Jayalalithaa had brought to the attention of the Prime Minister that 91 boats belonging to Tamil Nadu fishermen have been seized by the lankan Navy and had asked for the Centre’s immediate intervention to get the boats and 15 fishermen released.
It is interesting to note that the Chief Minister’s meeting with the Prime Minister is taking place a day before the beginning of the first full-fledged session of the Tamil Nadu Assembly which begins on June 16 with the customary address by the Governor.