Tamil Nadu   

Rival parties clash over Cauvery final award

Special Correspondent

AIADMK, DMK blame each other for "raw deal" State got

CHENNAI: Members of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Tuesday clashed over the Cauvery award in the Assembly, with the two sides blaming each other for Tamil Nadu getting a raw deal.

Trouble began when the first listed speaker for the day, R. Kumaraguru (AIADMK), began his comments on budget proposals. He made a reference to Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, which was expunged by Speaker R. Avudaiappan.

PWD Minister Durai Murugan explained how Mr. Karunanidhi was striving to get Tamil Nadu its rightful share since 1974. He referred to the AIADMK general secretary by her name, leading to a volley of protests from the AIADMK members.

Mr. Karunanidhi gestured his partymen to sit down and Mr. Durai Murugan to wind up his explanation. Mr. Durai Murugan said in the last Assembly, AIADMK members had repeatedly referred to the DMK chief by name.

Fresh trouble

Electricity Minister Arcot N.Veerasamy waved a newspaper clipping and claimed that an AIADMK functionary in Karnataka had promised support to Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Cauvery. At this too, the AIADMK members were on their feet, shouting. Deputy Leader of the Opposition O. Paneerselvam said the Assembly should debate the final award of the Cauvery Water Tribunal since it did not do justice to the State. He had written to the Speaker on this but he rejected his request.

At this, the Speaker said it was wrong for the member to speak when he was not aware of the facts. The request was under consideration, he said.

Mr. Durai Murugan was on his feet again and told the House that he would be willing to draw up a list of all that Ms.Jayalalithaa had done on the Cauvery issue. This again drew sharp protests from the AIADMK members.

As the din did not subside for a few minutes, Mr. Avudaiappan called upon the next member in the list, R.Appavoo (DMK) to speak. Mr. Paneerselvam, K.A. Sengottaiyan and other AIADMK members requested that the AIADMK member be allowed to complete his speech.

When Mr. Avudaiappan did not oblige, they staged a walkout. Some AIADMK members raised slogans against the Speaker and the DMK government. They returned a while later.

"Waive farm loans"

K. Jayakumar (Congress) said only a miniscule percentage of people belonging to the Adi Dravida community benefited from the waiver of agricultural loans taken from cooperative banks. Many from the community had taken loans from TAHDCO (the Adi Dravidar Housing and Development Corporation) and the total amount availed by the community was only about Rs.75 crore. He wanted the government to write off this loan.

He also suggested that free rice be given to all families under the poverty line, instead of the Rs.2 per kg rice scheme.

This would be effective and would only cost half of the amount spent by the Government on food subsidy.

Noting there was a slight increase in spending over the allocated amount under the special component plan last year, he said this year Rs.2,520 crore should have been earmarked. But only Rs.1,638 crore was earmarked. He wanted the government to increase the spending under the plan.

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