A day after presenting its first state budget, the TVK government has unveiled Tamil Nadu's first Agriculture Budget in the Legislative Assembly.

Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister R. Vinod announced several initiatives aimed at improving farm productivity, soil fertility, and technology adoption. Key highlights include a ₹600 crore Tamil Nadu Soil Fertility Mission, a five-year soil health plan, drone operator training for 500 beneficiaries under the Vetri Vanmagal Scheme, and new storage facilities to strengthen agricultural exports.

However, the budget did not include major announcements on the Cauvery water dispute or the Mekedatu dam issue, prompting criticism from the opposition. AIADMK leaders questioned the government's priorities, arguing that farmers' key concerns remain unresolved.

TVK Government Unveils First Agriculture Budget | Big Push for Farmers and Technology

<p>Leading the protest of the opposition National Democratic Alliance(NDA), AIADMK Chief and Tamil Nadu's Opposition leader Edappadi Palaniswami attacked the DMK government on the easy availability of narcotic substances, crimes against women and children, law and order issues, corruption, among others. The protest held in Chennai on Tuesday, (March 17th) was led by the AIADMK, with leaders from the BJP, other NDA allies taking part. Tamil Nadu will vote on 23rd April, and the results will be known on 4th May.</p><p><br>Lashing out at Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK Chief MK Stalin, Palaniswami said that Stalin was only concerned about his own family's welfare and was not concerned about the issues faced by the public. Palaniswami mentioned that ganja(marijuana) and narcotic substances were widely available across rural and urban regions of Tamil Nadu. Citing an incident of schoolchildren consuming liquor in their classroom, Palaniswami's parents were sending children to school to ensure a better future for the family, but children are falling prey to addiction and getting ruined because of it.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Questioning the authorities over the drug and substance abuse menace, Palaniswami asked if the state had an Intelligence department or whether it had gone defunct. "The Intelligence department should have alerted the Government, but they are only working for Chief Minister Stalin's family," Palaniswami alleged, while pointing out that police personnel were also being attacked and threatened by drug peddlers.</p><p><br>Citing crime data, Palaniswami said that there have been 1,408 murders in the state over the past years, and 246 murders have been committed in the 75-odd days in 2026 alone. He blamed the State Government for not appointing a full-time Director General of Police to handle Law and Order. The Opposition leader also brought up the political murders of BSP leader Armstrong and Congress leader Jayakumar, and alleged that the real culprits have not been found. He assured that AIADMK would return to power and the culprits would be made to face the law.</p><p><br>Further, Palaniswami alleged that sand mining was taking place in the Karur district of Tamil Nadu, with the knowledge of officials. He also accused the DMK Government of having swindled Rs. 24,000 crores over their five-year tenure by illegally overcharging on every bottle sold at liquor outlets, over which the Government has a total monopoly.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/nda-sweeps-rajya-sabha-seats-in-bihar-odisha-haryana-sees-close-contest-1773714960284">NDA sweeps Rajya Sabha seats in Bihar, Odisha; Haryana sees close contest</a></p>

Palaniswami said that MK Stalin was only concerned about his own family's welfare and was not concerned about the issues faced by the public. He also mentioned that ganja(marijuana) and narcotic substances were widely available across rural and urban regions of Tamil Nadu.

Leading the protest of the opposition National Democratic Alliance(NDA), AIADMK Chief and Tamil Nadu's Opposition leader Edappadi Palaniswami attacked the DMK government on the easy availability of narcotic substances, crimes against women and children, law and order issues, corruption, among others. The protest held in Chennai on Tuesday, (March 17th) was led by the AIADMK, with leaders from the BJP, other NDA allies taking part. Tamil Nadu will vote on 23rd April, and the results will be known on 4th May. Lashing out at Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK Chief MK Stalin, Palaniswami said that Stalin was only concerned about his own family's welfare and was not concerned about the issues faced by the public. Palaniswami mentioned that ganja(marijuana) and narcotic substances were widely available across rural and urban regions of Tamil Nadu. Citing an incident of schoolchildren consuming liquor in their classroom, Palaniswami's parents were sending children to school to ensure a better future for the family, but children are falling prey to addiction and getting ruined because of it. Questioning the authorities over the drug and substance abuse menace, Palaniswami asked if the state had an Intelligence department or whether it had gone defunct. "The Intelligence department should have alerted the Government, but they are only working for Chief Minister Stalin's family," Palaniswami alleged, while pointing out that police personnel were also being attacked and threatened by drug peddlers. Citing crime data, Palaniswami said that there have been 1,408 murders in the state over the past years, and 246 murders have been committed in the 75-odd days in 2026 alone. He blamed the State Government for not appointing a full-time Director General of Police to handle Law and Order. The Opposition leader also brought up the political murders of BSP leader Armstrong and Congress leader Jayakumar, and alleged that the real culprits have not been found. He assured that AIADMK would return to power and the culprits would be made to face the law. Further, Palaniswami alleged that sand mining was taking place in the Karur district of Tamil Nadu, with the knowledge of officials. He also accused the DMK Government of having swindled Rs. 24,000 crores over their five-year tenure by illegally overcharging on every bottle sold at liquor outlets, over which the Government has a total monopoly. Also read: NDA sweeps Rajya Sabha seats in Bihar, Odisha; Haryana sees close contest

<p>Palaniswami said that MK Stalin was only concerned about his own family's welfare and was not concerned about the issues faced by the public. He also mentioned that ganja(marijuana) and narcotic substances were widely available across rural and urban regions of Tamil Nadu.</p>

Rs 24,000cr swindled via liquor sales: EPS attacks DMK Govt at NDA protest

<p>Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Saturday held Sasikala and members of her family responsible for the Income Tax raids at Poes Garden. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Speaking to reporters in Madurai, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister said Sasikala and her family members have brought &#39;bad name to the party&#39;.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">It is the wrong doing of a family (Sasikala) which has brought bad name for the party and that is why IT raids are happening.: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami in Madurai <a href="https://t.co/vfRY9TFCAe">pic.twitter.com/vfRY9TFCAe</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/931910113585020928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&quot;During I-T raids in Poes Garden, Amma&#39;s room was not searched. There is no connection between the IT raids in Poes Garden &amp; state government. Raids are conducted by the IT dept which is under Centre,&quot; the reports said quoting Palaniswami.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">During IT raids in Poes Garden, Amma&#39;s room was not searched. There is no connection between the IT raids in Poes Garden &amp; state govt. Raids are conducted by the IT dept which is under Centre.: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami in Madurai <a href="https://t.co/Kt4sqHq0te">pic.twitter.com/Kt4sqHq0te</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/931910657196228608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Responding to TTV Dhinakaran&#39;s charge that he did not express his opposition to the IT raids, the CM asked&nbsp;&quot;Who is TTV Dhinakaran? He was not in the party for past 10 yrs, only after Amma&#39;s death, he has to come to the fore. He did not make me CM. It is my step by step contribution to the party that I became CM, all MLAs elected me,&quot; he added.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Who is TTV Dhinakaran? He was not in party for past 10 yrs, only after Amma&#39;s death he has to come to the fore. He did not make me CM. It is my step by step contribution to the party that I became CM, all MLAs elected me.: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami in Madurai <a href="https://t.co/uB3wpHWvDU">pic.twitter.com/uB3wpHWvDU</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/931911306268966912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>A few days after conducting raids for almost a week at different&nbsp;places owned by&nbsp;jailed AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala and her relatives, the IT department officials arrived at former Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa&#39;s Poes Garden house in Chennai and conducted a search. During the search, the Income Tax officials said to have seized two pen drives and two laptops.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The officials conducted a thorough search in the two rooms used by Sasikala and a room used by her personal secretary S Poongundran.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Madras High Court on Friday upheld the CBI court order convicting son-in-law and daughter of jailed AIADMK leader VK Sasikala&#39;s sister in a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/it-raid-on-sasikala-and-kins-reveals-rs-1430-crore-unaccounted-for-investments-24174">Rs.1400 crore</a>&nbsp;disproportionate assets (DA) case registered two decades ago.</p>


The Madras High Court on Friday upheld a CBI court order convicting son-in-law and daughter of jailed AIADMK leader VK Sasikala's sister in a Rs.1400 crore disproportionate assets (DA) case registered two decades ago.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Saturday held Sasikala and members of her family responsible for the Income Tax raids at Poes Garden. Speaking to reporters in Madurai, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister said Sasikala and her family members have brought 'bad name to the party'. It is the wrong doing of a family (Sasikala) which has brought bad name for the party and that is why IT raids are happening.: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami in Madurai pic.twitter.com/vfRY9TFCAe — ANI (@ANI) November 18, 2017 × "During I-T raids in Poes Garden, Amma's room was not searched. There is no connection between the IT raids in Poes Garden & state government. Raids are conducted by the IT dept which is under Centre," the reports said quoting Palaniswami. During IT raids in Poes Garden, Amma's room was not searched. There is no connection between the IT raids in Poes Garden & state govt. Raids are conducted by the IT dept which is under Centre.: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami in Madurai pic.twitter.com/Kt4sqHq0te — ANI (@ANI) November 18, 2017 × Responding to TTV Dhinakaran's charge that he did not express his opposition to the IT raids, the CM asked "Who is TTV Dhinakaran? He was not in the party for past 10 yrs, only after Amma's death, he has to come to the fore. He did not make me CM. It is my step by step contribution to the party that I became CM, all MLAs elected me," he added. Who is TTV Dhinakaran? He was not in party for past 10 yrs, only after Amma's death he has to come to the fore. He did not make me CM. It is my step by step contribution to the party that I became CM, all MLAs elected me.: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami in Madurai pic.twitter.com/uB3wpHWvDU — ANI (@ANI) November 18, 2017 × A few days after conducting raids for almost a week at different places owned by jailed AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala and her relatives, the IT department officials arrived at former Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa's Poes Garden house in Chennai and conducted a search. During the search, the Income Tax officials said to have seized two pen drives and two laptops. The officials conducted a thorough search in the two rooms used by Sasikala and a room used by her personal secretary S Poongundran. The Madras High Court on Friday upheld the CBI court order convicting son-in-law and daughter of jailed AIADMK leader VK Sasikala's sister in a Rs.1400 crore disproportionate assets (DA) case registered two decades ago.

Sasikala has brought 'bad name to the party', says Tamil Nadu CM

<p>The Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K.Palaniswami is planning to appoint transgenders in the state&#39;s police force.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He has given appointment order to four transgenders for joining Tamil Nadu police force.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Chennai: Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K. Palaniswami gave appointment order to four transgenders for joining TN police force <a href="https://t.co/oHurueo5Ds">pic.twitter.com/oHurueo5Ds</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/919826300579090437?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Chief minister Edappadi K.Palaniswami has issued appointment order to transgenders for joining police force

The Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K.Palaniswami is planning to appoint transgenders in the state's police force. He has given appointment order to four transgenders for joining Tamil Nadu police force. Chennai: Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K. Palaniswami gave appointment order to four transgenders for joining TN police force pic.twitter.com/oHurueo5Ds — ANI (@ANI) October 16, 2017 ×

TN police force soon to include transgenders