TMC leader should be more cautious: Speaker

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, MAY 18. The 43-day-long budget session of the Tamil Nadu Assembly ended on a good natured note today, with the Speaker, Mr.P.T.R.Palanivel Rajan not pursuing any action against the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. S. Balakrishnan, for his ``unfounded charges'' against the PWD Minister, Mr. Durai Murugan, on some work contracts.

The TMC leader's charges, made when the PWD demand was taken up in the House, were already refuted by Mr. Durai Murugan who had quoted documents to show that some canal works related to the Mordhana reservoir in Vellore district were given only to the lowest bidder.

However, the Speaker was urged to arbitrate by the Chief Minister, Mr.M.Karunanidhi, as the figures furnished by the Opposition leader and the PWD Minister had varied quite a bit.

Giving his ruling in the House today before his customary winding-up, the Speaker said that Mr.Balakrishnan, after a perusal of the official records with the Chief Engineer, had conceded that it confirmed the figures given by the PWD Minister.

Mr.Balakrishnan's other charge was also unfounded as the official files showed that not all works entrusted to put up Collectorate buildings in seven districts had been given to a particular company, as alleged by the TMC leader, he said.

Stating that the company named by Mr.Balakrishnan had been given only two contracts in Namakkal and Tiruvannamali districts, the remaining were entrusted to others, the Speaker said.

Despite Mr.Balakrishnan having levelled these charges with `good intentions', the Speaker said as the former occupied a very responsible position, he should be more cautious and cross-check the source of his information before making such allegations. ``I leave the matter at that'', Mr.Palanivel Rajan added.

The Speaker also let off with a warning the TMC MLA, Dr.Chellakumar, against whom the Labour Minister, Mr. Rehman Khan, had raised a privilege issue for misleading the House about an audit report pertaining to the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board having entrusted some works through the single tender system.

The report actually pertained to an earlier year when the erstwhile AIADMK was in power. However, Dr. Chellakumar had written to the Speaker explaining that his mistake was due to a `printing error' in the audit report.

``For a member, who always claims to speak with absolute clarity, this was an instance he was not clear'', Mr. Palanivel Rajan quipped in giving a mild reprimand to Dr.Chellakumar.

While rejecting the AIADMK Group leader, Mr. P. R. Sundaram's privilege notice against the Agriculture Minister, Mr.Veerapandi S.Arumugam, regarding the `Salem bus-stand issue' after they crossed swords in the Assembly, the Speaker said, Mr.Sundaram's subsequent charge that no Court stay had been obtained by the Government in the land dispute concerned was contrary to facts.

Mr. Arumugam had himself read out from the local Munsiff Court's order granting interim stay in the case till June 1, the Speaker pointed out. As Mr.Sundaram's contention was contrary to the truth, he was referring the matter to the Privileges Committee for further investigation and action, Mr.Palanivel Rajan announced.

Mr. Palanivel Rajan also expunged from the records some remarks made by the BJP MLA, Mr. C .Velayutham, on May 10, in the course of a discussion in the Assembly, on the late Congress leader K.Kamaraj, as there was no evidential basis for it apart from some ``newspaper reports''. This was done on a plea by the Opposition leader and after Mr.Velayutham gave his clarification.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : Oppn. charge on Krishna water refuted
Next     : Krishna creates ripples