AIADMK's charge raises temperature in House

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, MAY 5. The AIADMK's allegation of irregularities in the free dhothi and sari distribution scheme today sparked heated moments in the Assembly, leading to a brief walk-out by the party MLAs.

During the debate on the Handlooms Department, the AIADMK member, Mr. C. Karuppusamy charged that 90 missing bales of dhothis and saris meant for free distribution in his Sankarankoil constitutency were later found locked in the local Tahsildar's office, raising suspicions over the implementation of the scheme.

Turning the tables on the AIADMK member, the Handlooms Minister, Mr. N.K.K. Periyasamy, during his reply to the debate, said that since the MLAs had been involved in the distribution, the member had the right and responsibility to ensure the proper implementation of the scheme. The MLAs had been vested with sufficient powers to supervise the scheme, he added.

Minutes after the Minister's remarks, the AIADMK members Mr. R. Viswanathan and Mr. Karuppusamy were on their feet, protesting the ``charge''. But the Speaker, Mr. P.T.R. Palanivel Rajan sharply asked them to resume their seats and warned that they would be evicted. Even as the two members persisted with their plea, Mr. Palanivel Rajan asked the Handlooms Minister if he had made any charge against the AIADMK member.

Even while the Minister clarified that he had not levelled any charge, AIADMK legislature party leader, Mr. P. R. Sundaram protested the refusal to allow the AIADMK to air its views and led his party MLAs out of the House.

Earlier, the TMC whip, Mr. C. Gnanasekaran locked horns with the Handlooms Minister, and the Labour Minister, Mr. A. Rehman Khan over the reopening of a spinning mill in Ariyur in Vellore district which remained closed for the past three years.

The TMC member charged that the government, despite repeated assurances, had taken no steps to reopen the mill and the workers too had not been given any monetary relief. Even while the Handlooms Minister stated that the government had decided to bear the mill's Rs. 11.54 crore loan burden, Mr. Gnanasekaran charged that the State Labour Department was giving information contrary to the truth on the issue of providing relief to the workers. An angry Labour Minister shot back, saying that he too could make such unparliamentary remarks against the member.

The issue petered out soon, with Mr. Gnanasekaran appealing to the Handlooms Minister to take immediate steps to revive the mill and the Minister hinting that it would be reopened soon.

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Section  : Regional
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