Palaniswami terms his tour covering three countries a success; MoUs for investments to the tune of ₹8,830 crore inked
Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami received a rousing reception at the Chennai International Airport on Tuesday, as he returned to the city after leading a delegation to the U.K., the U.S. and the Emirates as part of a fortnight-long foreign trip aimed at attracting investments to the State.
Terming his foreign visit fruitful, Mr. Palaniswami said he will soon leave for Israel to learn about water management practices there. Official sources said the Israel tour was slated for later this month.
Describing his just-concluded foreign trip as a success, Mr. Palaniswami said a total of 41 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were inked for investments to the tune of ₹8,830 crore, which could generate around 37,300 jobs.
He said the Tamil diasporas in the three countries he visited were keen to invest in Tamil Nadu.
Elaborating on his visit, he said agreements were signed to boost healthcare in the State. He said the knowledge acquired about ambulance management services will be incorporated into the 108 ambulance service in T.N.
In Suffolk, U.K., he visited Enzen to learn about using solar and wind power. “I also invited MPs in London to invest in Tamil Nadu, after highlighting the features of the State,” he said.
During his trip to Buffalo in the U.S., Mr. Palaniswami visited dairy farms to explore ways to boost the dairy sector in Tamil Nadu.
Through the Investors’ Meet in New York, investments to the tune of ₹2,780 crore were expected to materialise, bringing with them 20,000 jobs, he said, adding that officials from Haldia Petrochemicals and the Naphtha Cracker Unit met him and held consultations on investing in the State.
The CM also detailed the MoUs inked in the U.S. and in Dubai.
To a query about him suiting up during his foreign visit, he said, “It is only appropriate to be attired accordingly when meeting investors from the West.”
When asked about DMK leader M.K. Stalin’s criticism of his foreign trip, Mr. Palaniswami said the former was making such comments out of ‘jealousy’, and that the visit undertaken by him and other Ministers was aimed only at attracting investments to the State.
Elaborating on his planned trip to Israel, Mr. Palaniswami said it was aimed at learning about the water recycling technology used by the country. He highlighted how water needed for irrigating one acre in Tamil Nadu was being used to irrigate seven acres in Israel.
When asked if the economic slowdown would affect investments into Tamil Nadu, the Chief Minister said the firms would not have signed the MoUs if that were the case.