Tamil Nadu is committed to working constructively with Centre, says Vijay

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Reaching out: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay calls on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Thursday (June 11, 2026) on the sidelines of the 11th Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog.

Balancing a call for greater State autonomy with an assurance of cooperation, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay said on Thursday (June 11, 2026) that his government would work constructively with the Centre even while safeguarding the State’s interests and aspirations.

In his debut address at the 11th Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, Mr. Vijay said Tamil Nadu wholeheartedly supported the nation’s aspirations and believed a developed India could be built only through empowered States, cooperative federalism, and inclusive development. “The people of Tamil Nadu have entrusted our government with a historic mandate founded on transparent governance, social justice, inclusive growth, youth empowerment, and equitable development. We remain committed to working constructively with the Union government while firmly safeguarding the interests and aspirations of Tamil Nadu,” he said.

The Chief Minister demanded the early release of the pending funds under Samagra Shiksha Scheme, amounting to ₹3,284 crore, without any condition and without linking them to the implementation of the National Education Policy or insisting on the three-language policy.

He urged the Centre to provide the committed Central government assistance of ₹2,283.40 crore for the Hogenakkal Phase-III Combined Water Supply Scheme and permit employment generation activities under VB-G RAM-G for the State government’s rural housing schemes.

He made it clear that Tamil Nadu opposed the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to undergraduate medical and dental courses, as its introduction had adversely affected students from rural and socio-economically disadvantaged families. He urged the Centre to permit Tamil Nadu to fill all th