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Budget session: Spirited discussion by AIADMK, BJP members

By S. Nadarajan

PONDICHERRY, JULY 31. The 19-day budget session of the Assembly, which ended here yesterday, has brought to fore several important political features.

With the formation of Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA) by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the Congress and a few other parties, practically the DMK is an Opposition only in the name. There will be wholehearted cooperation from the DMK to the steps taken by the Rangasamy Government.

The Union Territory has 30 Assembly constituencies. (In the recent Lok Sabha poll the Pattali Makkal Katchi, a constituent of the DPA, was elected from the lone Parliament seat in Pondicherry).

The two-member All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Bharatiya Janata Party, which has a lone member, actively took part in the discussions.

The AIADMK members, along with the BJP member, staged walkouts on several occasions stating that they were denied permission to air certain important public issues.

`Insufficient replies'

Almost all the members resented the `incomplete or insufficient replies' they got from the Government on issues such as spending of funds under a special component plan for the welfare of the Scheduled Caste, operating bus services and sanction of posts for filling vacancies.

Statehood

The lack of full powers to the Ministry was another issue that was discussed with almost all the members insisting that the Centre should accord special statehood status to Pondicherry.

Even as the Yanam MLA, Malladi Krishna Rao (Independent), opposed the plea for special statehood, the House adopted a resolution urging the Centre to confer the status without delay. Mr. Rao was apprehensive of several disadvantages that Pondicherry would face if it should lose the present status of Union Territory.

The Speaker, M.D.R. Ramachandran, emphasised the need for Ministers to provide full details from the concerned departments.

Civic polls

The delay in holding the civic polls for more than two and half decades had forced the MLAs to place questions on garbage cleaning, desilting of drainage canals and other issues coming within the purview of the civic bodies.

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