Tamil Nadu   

AIADMK MLAs stage walkout

Special Correspondent

`Denial' of chance to explain party's stand on sugarcane support price

BITTER BATTLE: AIADMK MLAs staging a walkout from the Assembly on Wednesday. — Photo:R. Ragu

CHENNAI: Members of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam staged a walkout from the Assembly on Wednesday, alleging they were not allowed to explain the party's position on the issue of support price for sugar cane.

Trouble began on Tuesday when Agriculture Minister Veerapandi S. Arumugham read out file notings following a 2001 Cabinet meeting chaired by the then Chief Minister Jayalalithaa. The meeting recommended that there was no need for the State Government to announce a support price.

At this, AIADMK members, led by O. Panneerselvam, were on their feet, demanding they be given access to the records. Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi intervened and suggested that the issue be taken up a day later, after giving everyone time to study the file.

Kept in abeyance

Speaker R. Avudaiappan ruled that the matter should be considered as kept in abeyance till he went through the files and directed the Press not to report on the exchanges till Wednesday.

On Wednesday, the Speaker said the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Government had announced a support price to farmers selling sugar cane to cooperative and public sector sugar mills over and above the minimum support price announced by the Centre.

This was despite the fact that private mills had gone to court in 1998-99, 1999-2000 and 2000-01. But, in 2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04 and 2004-05, the AIADMK government did not announce a support price. He also said that the Opposition members could view the files in his chamber.

The AIADMK members were not satisfied and sought a chance to speak on the issue. Electricity Minister Arcot N. Veerasamy said there could be no discussion on an issue after the Speaker had given his ruling.

The AIADMK members soon trooped out of the House. A few of them raised slogans against the Speaker.

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