Sun Feb 09 19:00:42 UTC 2025: ## AIADMK Leader Blames DMK for Delaying Major Irrigation Project
**Coimbatore, February 10, 2025** – AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami accused the ruling DMK government of deliberately delaying the commissioning of the Avinashi-Athikadavu irrigation project, a key initiative of his previous administration. Speaking at a farmers’ felicitation ceremony in Annur on Sunday, Palaniswami asserted that the project, allocated ₹1,652 crore in 2018, was 85% complete under AIADMK rule before being stalled due to alleged political vendetta.
Palaniswami claimed the delay, impacting farmers in Coimbatore, Tiruppur, and Erode districts, could have been avoided if the DMK government had prioritized completing the remaining work, which he estimated could have been finished within a year. He further stated that the AIADMK had prepared a detailed project report for phase 2 and pledged to continue the project upon returning to power.
The Avinashi-Athikadavu project aims to irrigate 24,468 acres of farmland by diverting water from the Bhavani river, benefiting over 1,045 waterbodies. Former Minister S.P. Velumani echoed Palaniswami’s criticism, highlighting the AIADMK’s role in initiating the project.
In a separate statement, Palaniswami also criticized the DMK government’s handling of rising crime against women, labeling Chief Minister M.K. Stalin a “puppet Chief Minister” and attributing the increase in such crimes to administrative negligence.
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