Anbumani Ramadoss


CHENNAI, Mar 8 : The United Progressive Alliance will form the government again, said Anbumani Ramadoss, Union Health Minister and PMK State youth wing president told a press conference here on Friday.

Refusing to directly answer questions on the electoral alliance partner for the PMK, Dr. Anbumani kept insisting that a decision would have to be taken in the general council meeting of the party that would be held soon.

But, during the course of the press meet, he said the UPA would come back to power.

He said he was proffering the opinion as a Minister in the UPA government.

Dr. Anbumani said as a youth leader he would like to maintain amicable relationship with all political parties, including the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, irrespective of their ideologies.

Though that was not the situation in Tamil Nadu, he hoped that it would be so one day.

Stating that he has had a very satisfactory tenure as a Health Minister, Dr. Anbumani added that he would count as his biggest achievement, the National Rural Health Mission. While the UPA government had rolled out several progressive schemes in the health sector, including the National Urban Health Mission and ban on Tobacco usage, he himself has derived much satisfaction from the implementation of the NRHM, which seeks to take health care to the remotest corners of the country.

He said that a National Alcohol Policy was on its way and would be recommendatory in nature, and States could opt to frame rules to implement the policy.

It was to further PMK’s agenda of advising youth to stay away from the evils of alcoholism and tobacco use that the final youth conference would be held in the city on Saturday.

All PMK leaders, including party’s founder S. Ramadoss will attend the conference in which about five lakh youths are expected to participate.