The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : DMK, CPI(M) walk out

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 22, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

DMK, CPI(M) walk out

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, MARCH 21. Members of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) today walked out of the Assembly, for different reasons.

Shortly after the Social Welfare Minister, Vijayalakshmi Palanisamy replied to the discussion on the demand for grants to her department, C. Gnanasekaran (Congress) wanted to know whether the Government continued to implement the Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar marriage assistance scheme for poor girls, who completed Standard X, at Rs.10, 000 each.

The DMK whip, Ila. Pugazhendhi, and some colleagues also raised the issue. They asked the Government to provide details of the number of beneficiaries and the quantum of assistance provided in the last four years.

Ms. Palanisamy said the scheme was withdrawn and the present Government introduced four new programmes instead.

Even as the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Minister, C.P. Ramasamy, started replying to the discussion on demands for grants to his department, the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, intervened to give details of the marriage assistance schemes implemented by her Government.

Accusing the Opposition of attempting to create an impression that the Government was not providing marriage assistance to the poor and needy, she said the scheme named after Moovalur Ramamirtham was given up from June 4, 2002 as "various irregularities were committed during the previous DMK rule." Her Government was implementing four schemes including three named after E.V.R. Maniammai, Mother Teresa and Dr.Dharmambal for the marriage of daughters of widows and orphaned girls, for widow marriage and inter-caste marriages. Under these schemes, targets were exceeded right from 2001-2002.

The DMK Members, led by the deputy leader, Durai Murugan, walked out protesting against the Government scrapping the Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar scheme.

Just as they were walking out, the Speaker said their action prompted him to recite a `new verse': "They enter the House only to move out."

Adjournment motions

Shortly after the Minister for Forests and Environment, R.Vaithilingam, responded to a calling attention motion by Mr. Gnanasekaran on the need for converting a damaged mud road into a tar road between Kavalur and Mantharakuttai in the Javvadu Hills, K.C. Karunakaran and N. Nanmaran of the CPI (M) tried to raise adjournment motions on some issues.

The Speaker did not allow them, saying he was considering their pleas. Protesting against the Speaker' stand, the MLAs staged a walkout.

The DMK and CPI(M) members returned a little later.

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