The Hindu : `Stop India shining advertisement campaign'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Feb 23, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

`Stop India shining advertisement campaign'

By R.K. Radhakrishnan and S. Vijay Kumar

By R.K. Radhakrishnan and

S. Vijay Kumar

VIRUDHUNAGAR, FEB. 22. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) today demanded that the Election Commission halt the `India shining' advertisement campaign brought out by various Union Government departments.

In a resolution adopted at the concluding day of the two-day south zone conference near here, the party condemned the ongoing campaign, which was timed for the Lok Sabha election.

It was a blatant transgression on the part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government. The caretaker Government was using the taxpayers' money to further its own ends.

The DMK also took exception to the Planning Commission releasing pro-Government advertisements. The job of the Commission was to give advice on planning processes, but it was taking part in the campaign.

The party demanded that the electoral rolls in all constituencies be verified in view of a commission representative finding bogus entries during inspection. The ruling AIADMK was scheming mass additions with the help of officials, it said and demanded action against those responsible for the inclusion of fictitious names.

`Ban cotton export'

In view of the serious crisis being faced by weavers, the party demanded that the Centre and State Government take immediate steps to ban export of cotton. The weavers should be given incentives for export of handloom cloth and the variety of taxes and surcharges imposed on the trade should be withdrawn.

All punishments imposed on government employees for participating in a strike in July last should be withdrawn. The Government initiated legal action against the DMK president, M. Karunanidhi, the former TNCC president, E.V.K.S. Elangovan, the CPI State secretary, R. Nallakannu and the CPI (M) State secretary, N. Varadarajan, for allegedly instigating the employees to go on strike. The DMK demanded that the cases be withdrawn.

The conference adopted 23 resolutions demanding the State Government take over paddy procurement, restoration of workers' right to go on strike, withdrawal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA), continuation of free power supply to farmers, restoration of public distribution system (PDS) benefits to those drawing more than Rs. 5,000 monthly salary, speeding up of work on the East Coast Road project, augmentation of drinking water supply in Chennai and other parts of the State, writing off of cooperative loans taken by farmers because of the unprecedented drought and protection to fountain pen nib-making employees and matchbox workers.

It also adopted a resolution against the Assembly adjourning sine die without conducting a debate on budget proposals for the next financial year.

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