The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : `State officials boycotting Union Ministers'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 16, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

`State officials boycotting Union Ministers'

Staff Reporter

Violation of protocol: E.V.K.S. Elangovan

COIMBATORE: The bureaucracy in Tamil Nadu was boycotting functions organised by Central Government Departments to deliberately insult the Union Government, Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry E.V.K.S. Elangovan said here on Sunday.

The Minister told newspersons that even when union ministers attended functions, State Government officials never turned up thus "violating protocol." This attitude was a deliberate insult to the Union Government, he said adding that the Chief Minister should own up responsibility for the attitude of the officials.

Asked to respond to the Chief Minister's charge that none of the Union Ministers from Tamil Nadu called on her even as a matter of courtesy, Mr. Elangovan retorted, "She is the only Chief Minister who has not called on the Prime Minister, Finance Minister and Commerce Minister asking anything for the State."

Even Chief Ministers of opposition ruled States had met the Prime Minister and other union ministers seeking various schemes for their States.

To questions on the possibility of a coalition government in the State after the Assembly elections next year, Mr. Elangovan merely said a good government would be in place. A few more parties would join the DMK-led alliance.

Welcoming the debate on the need for evaluating the performance of union ministers and preparing a progress card, he exhorted the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister to do the same for her council of ministers, since she was "constantly accusing" the union ministers hailing from Tamil Nadu of having done nothing for the State.

Mr. Elangovan urged the Tamil Nadu Government to take steps to provide employment to the workers rendered jobless following the closure of 48 dyeing units in Tirupur as a result of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board's action against polluting units. He urged the industrial units in the region to work towards the objective of a Special Economic Zone status to enjoy concessions for the next 20 years. During the last one year, the Centre had created industrial infrastructure in Chennai, Ambur, Madurai and Coimbatore by providing nearly Rs. 200 crore investments in the form of subsidy. He said he was considering the appeal by foundry industries in Coimbatore to enhance the subsidy component from Rs. 39 crores to Rs. 44 crores.

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