Opposition leader's poser to CM

By Our Staff Reporter

PONDICHERRY, MAY 12. Former Chief Minister and Opposition leader in the Territorial Assembly, Mr.R. V. Janakiraman, today questioned the continuation of the legal discrepancy of having more than the statutory strength of 33 members in the Assembly.

He said he did not question the continuation of the PCC (I) president, Mr. P. Shanmugham as the Chief Minister but what worried him was the continuation of the Assembly with more members.

He wanted to know whether the Chief Minister would take steps to hold civic polls and raise the price paid to the sugarcane growers from Rs. 700 to Rs. 1000. Because, when they were in the Opposition, the Congress (I) and their alliance partners were criticising the then DMK ministry for not paying increased price. What steps this government would take to realise its own demands, he asked.

Similarly, the interim relief of Rs. 1000 to each worker in the Anglo French Textiles (AFT) should be paid as the Congress (I) and TMC had formed the coalition ministry. He said that although 50 days had rolled since the new ministry assumed charge, nothing had been done to fulfill the expectations of the people.

Will there be sufficient time for the ministry to take steps and attend to people's problems. It was with haste the political parties had acted in the past to dislodge the DMK ministry.

He said there was no room for any claim for the Congress (I)-led ministry to feel proud that it had got more allocation from the Planning Commission. Because the amount of Rs 312 crores was finalised during the DMK regime and only that amount had been procured now by this Government.

He said a meeting of the DMK office-bearers would be held soon to finalise its strategy to deal with the problems faced by those engaged as daily wage employees but were retrenched after political development.

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Section  : Regional
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