Vellore (Tamil Nadu) [India], August 30 (ANI): AIADMK General Secretary and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Sunday criticised the functioning of the Tamil Nadu Assembly, alleging that people's issues were not being given adequate importance and that the House proceedings were being diverted to government matters.
Speaking to reporters, Palaniswami criticised the functioning of the Tamil Nadu Assembly and alleged that adequate importance was not being given to people's issues.
On the functioning of the Assembly and whether adequate opportunities were being given to the AIADMK, Palaniswami said: "The Assembly is functioning more like the way legislative proceedings are portrayed in cinema. A real Assembly is not functioning here. Priority is not being given to discussing people's issues. Instead, the government's own issues are being discussed in the Assembly.
You are all watching the Assembly proceedings live. People's problems are not being discussed for sufficient time. The valuable time of the Assembly is being wasted."
Asked about ministers giving different responses when MLAs raise questions during Question Hour, he said: "Many ministers are functioning like this today. Each minister has been assigned a particular department. When MLAs raise questions related to a particular department, the concerned minister does not respond. If you look at the proceedings as a whole, only around four ministers are responding. Aadhav Arjuna, Nirmal Kumar and Rajmohan are among those who respond to questions related to various departments. Even though other ministers have been allocated specific departments, they do not respond to questions concerning their respective departments.
The purpose of appointing a minister for every department is to ensure that people's problems can be raised in the Assembly. Whether the ruling party or the Opposition raises an issue and brings it to the minister's attention, the minister concerned should respond and explain what steps will be taken to resolve it. But the concerned ministers are not responding."
He further said that even the departments held by the Chief Minister were being handled by other ministers during the Assembly's demands for grants.
"The Chief Minister holds the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department. However, another minister presents the demands for grants related to the department and responds to the discussion. Although the Chief Minister holds the department, another minister participates in the demands for grants and replies on matters concerning it," he said.
Asked about the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government's announcement of new schemes, Palaniswami said: "What new schemes have they announced? There is nothing. There are no schemes that are useful to the people. None of the major promises made during the election has been fulfilled. Apart from announcing a few promises as a formality, there is nothing else. Within 100 days of assuming office, the TVK government has borrowed Rs 28,000 crore. Out of this, Rs 25,000 crore has reportedly been spent on revenue expenditure. They will borrow another Rs 1 lakh crore.
They have also constituted a committee to improve financial management and appointed a chairman for it. The previous government had also constituted a similar committee to improve financial management. After forming that committee, they borrowed Rs 5 lakh crore. Now the state's debt stands at Rs 10 lakh crore. This TVK government will not last for five years. If it does, the debt of Rs 10 lakh crore will become Rs 20 lakh crore. The only thing left will be to turn the entire population into debt-ridden people."
Palaniswami also criticised the rise in prices of essential commodities and said that poor people were being severely affected.
"Prices have increased to such an extent that they have touched the sky. I raised the issue with the concerned Food Minister in the Assembly. The price of sugar has increased. One kilogram of sugar is being sold for Rs 75. The price of rice has increased from Rs 15 to Rs 20 per kilogram. The prices of tamarind, pulses and cooking oil have also increased. The prices of essential food commodities have gone up. When we asked what steps would be taken to reduce these prices and what solution would be provided, there was no proper response. The Food Minister has not given a satisfactory reply. As a result, poor people are being severely affected."
On the issue of providing cars to MLAs, Palaniswami said: "As far as our position is concerned, it is up to each individual. I did not take a car. I have already said that I do not need a car. The cars are not being given to MLAs as their personal property. They can use the vehicles as long as they hold office, and after their term ends, they have to return them. When I was the Chief Minister, I used a government vehicle. When I was the Leader of the Opposition, I also used a government vehicle. Since I already have a car, I do not need another one. Similarly, our MLAs have been told that they can decide according to their own preference."
Asked about allegations that the Assembly's live telecast, he said: "It is under the control of the ruling party. Regardless of which party is in power, this has been the practice. When the DMK was in power previously, it was the same. They would not show us when we were speaking. They would show only the ministers speaking.
The same pattern continues today. The Speaker has been elected from the ruling party. Therefore, there is no doubt that he will function in favour of the ruling party. They say that the Speaker should treat all legislators equally and without discrimination. But what people are discussing outside is that the Assembly proceedings do not reflect the alleged high-handedness of the ruling party. When the Opposition conveys its demands to the government and raises people's issues, if those demands are rejected, arguments naturally arise. That is what is being shown."
Asked whether live telecast of Assembly proceedings was necessary, Palaniswami said: "I raised this question two days ago. The Hon'ble Speaker said that the Assembly had functioned for 10 hours. You would have all seen that in the live telecast. It is certainly commendable that the Assembly functioned for 10 hours. But the question is, how many hours out of those 10 were spent discussing people's issues? There is no answer to that.
People's issues are not being taken up for sufficient time. Even in those 10 hours, people's problems were not discussed for even two-and-a-half hours. The remaining seven-and-a-half hours were spent raising unnecessary issues and wasting the valuable time of the House. This is how we view the functioning of the present government."
Asked about his stand on continuing the live telecast of Assembly proceedings, Palaniswami said: "The live telecast should continue. Let the people watch it. It is because people are watching it that you are asking these questions. We had already approached the court when the AIADMK government was in power. As mentioned in the DMK's election manifesto, we went to court seeking live telecast of Assembly proceedings.
Now, this government is telecasting the Assembly proceedings live. However, as I said, when an argument takes place involving the ruling party, it is not being shown. They are showing only the stand and arguments of Opposition MLAs. The role of the Opposition is to raise the voice of the people. The duty of the ruling party is to find solutions to the issues raised by the people in the Assembly. But they do not pay attention to these issues. Whenever we raise people's problems, they speak in the opposite direction and divert the attention of the House," Palaniswami said. (ANI)
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