The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Karunanidhi justifies demand for break in Assembly session

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 16, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Karunanidhi justifies demand for break in Assembly session

Special Correspondent

State finances will stay on path to recovery: officials

CHENNAI : With the ruling party turning down the demands of the main Opposition parties on the conduct of the House, the concluding session of the twelfth Assembly is poised to witness noisy scenes.

Justifying the Opposition demand for a break after the presentation of the budget, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M. Karunanidhi on Sunday said this was the accepted norm of the House. It would enable the legislators to scrutinise the proposals and the supporting documents.

About Speaker K. Kalimuthu pointing to 2001 as a precedent for beginning the budget discussions the day after its presentation, Mr. Karunanidhi said the Governor's address that year was on January 19 and he, as Chief Minister, had replied to various issued raised by MLAs on January 24. After a break, the House reconvened on January 29 and the budget was presented in the morning. Discussions began the next day.

"At that time no Opposition party asked for a day's break. There was no walkout. If they had asked, their demand would have been accepted," he said. Mr. Karunanidhi pointed out that he was present at each of the Business Advisory Committee meeting in which legislature party leaders of all parties participated.

`Revenue buoyancy'

Despite current indications that the food subsidy is back to the 2001 level of Rs.1,500 crore, officials expect that a buoyant economy and above normal revenue receipts will keep State finances on the path of recovery. Officials claim, as the financial year draws to a close, that the financial position of the Government is "sound."

The Government is also expected to present a report on compliance with the medium term fiscal plan. Officials insist there has been no deviation from the fiscal plan submitted to the House. The revenue receipts, especially from the sale of Indian Made Foreign Liquor, is expected to overshoot earlier projections by about Rs. 500 crore. This, plus the revenue buoyancy, will provide enough to finance many schemes announced by the Government in the last two years, the officials insist.

Though the term of the Government ends in May, the budget proposals — as has been the norm — will be for the full financial year. A vote on account will be taken for the first few months. Once a Government with a fresh mandate assumes office, it can either modify or persist with the proposals.

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