Thursday, April 6 2006 12:32 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Madurai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has criticised the central government's 'step motherly' treatment towards the state and the role of 13 union ministers from Tamil Nadu in allegedly blocking all central assistance.

The Chief Minister, in speeches last night at Sivaganga, the constituency of union finance minister P Chidambaram, also alleged that these ministers were working with political and selfish motives.

She attacked the Centre for its 'failure' to help the state in times of need, by increasing petrol prices five times in just one year.

On the contrary, the Tamil Nadu government, despite facing natural calamities like Tsunami, drought and floods, had spent several crores of rupees in welfare measures.

She also listed how people in Sivaganga had benefitted from Government schemes, including loan assistance for Self Help Groups, which enabled women stand on their own feet, farmers' social security scheme/wedding assistance schemes.

"The Government has given Rs 10.69 crore to farmers whose crops were affected by flood and rs 6.29 lakh for those whose houses were damaged in the floods," she said.

Supply of cycles and textbooks free of cot had benefited the student community, the chief minister said.

She said the fiscal position was 'very bad' when she assumed office and that Tamil Nadu had faced drought for three consecutive years. in December 2004, the tsunami struck, followed by floods.

Though they approached the Centre for aid, the 13 central ministers from the state blocked it,she alleged

She also spoke at Pillavacatti and Kunrakudi in Pudukottai and Sivaganga districts.