The Hindu : Front Page : Walkout over tsunami relief fund issue

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Wednesday, Aug 03, 2005

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Walkout over tsunami relief fund issue

Special Correspondent

Chandy skirting the real issue: Achuthanandan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Opposition on Tuesday walked out of the State Assembly alleging that the State Government had diverted for other purposes the funds received for extending relief to the victims of the tsunami onslaught of December last year.

The walkout came after the Speaker Therambil Ramakrishnan refused to permit Binoy Viswom of the CPI to move an adjournment motion to discuss the `tsunami funds diversion.'

Earlier, seeking the leave of the House to move the motion, Mr. Viswom cited media reports maintaining that the Lok Ayukta had `criticised' the Government for the tsunami funds diversion. "The generous contributions that had reached the Chief Minister's Tsunami Relief Fund (CMTRF) should not have been used on Governmental extravagance," Mr. Viswom said.

Clarifying the position, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said the contributions to the CMTRF totalled Rs.40.02 crores till July 25. Of this, Rs. 36.25 crores had been spent by the Government, with Rs. 27.95 crores going specifically to the tsunami-affected areas for relief and rehabilitation works. The Lok Ayukta had asked the Government to furnish the details of how the remaining amount of Rs.8.30 crores was spent. It had not remarked anything about `diversion of tsunami funds,' he said.

Mr. Chandy said Rs.8.30 crores was not in any way misused by the Government. "As all of you know very well, the Government receives hundreds of representations from poor people seeking help for genuine needs like medical assistance. This is not extravagance. Many of you have forwarded representations from such people in your constituencies," he said.

T. K. Devakumar of the CPI(M) alleged that a large share of the contributions received by CMTRF had been spent in areas totally unaffected by the tsunami. "For instance, Rs. 9 crores from the fund been diverted for laying pipes for water supply in Cherthala and Aroor constituencies," he alleged. He said the Chief Minister did not deserve to continue in office after having presided over this "inhuman conduct of the Government."

The Chief Minister said the Opposition members were trying to mislead the public with the propaganda that the Government had misused the CMTRF. While the Lok Ayukta's query related to the spending of Rs.8.30 crores, Mr. Viswom, in his notice seeking leave to introduce the adjournment motion, was making the charge that the Government had `misused' a sum of Rs.27.95 crores from the CMTRF.

Announcing the walkout, Leader of the Opposition V. S. Achuthanandan said the Chief Minister had failed to provide a satisfactory answer to the question raised by the Opposition members. He said Mr. Chandy had tried to `skirt the real issue by resorting to lame excuses and technicalities.'

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