CHENNAI: With the DMK repeatedly raising apprehensions about the feasibility of implementing various welfare schemes announced by the Government, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa said in the Assembly on Wednesday that adequate funds were available to implement them.

Participating in a discussion on the First Supplementary Statement of Expenditure for 2005-2006, Arcot N. Veerasamy (DMK) said the Government would need a minimum of Rs. 4,000 crores to implement the 156 schemes announced recently.

Finance Minister C. Ponnaiyan said the Government had been able to collect commercial tax to the tune of Rs. 1,500 crores and save Rs. 520 crores through austerity measures.

Intervening, Ms. Jayalalithaa said her Government had taken up the big challenge of re-railing the State's economy, "ruined by the previous DMK Government." The Tamil Nadu Development Report, prepared by the Central Planning Commission, had stated that considerable increase in revenue deficit, especially after 1995-96, was one of the major structural problems in the State Budget and "this leads to a large fiscal deficit and interest burden."

The report had also observed that for the initial two years of projections (2003-2004 and 2004-2005), "revenue receipts exceed the projected values by more than Rs. 400 crores. Although revenue expenditures slightly exceed the projected levels, both revenue deficit and fiscal deficit are considerably less than the projection levels in these two years [despite the present drought situation in the State]," she pointed out.

Mr. Veerasamy said though his party welcomed the schemes, it felt the Government was running out of time to execute them as only around seven months were left before the Assembly elections.

Alternative crops

On the Government's suggestion to farmers to switch to alternative crops such as jatropha, he said farmers were finding it difficult to sell their produce. He also wanted necessary equipment to be installed at Government General Hospital in Chennai.

Mr. Veerasamy said a Government Order should be issued clarifying doubts over the recent Supreme Court order on admissions to private professional colleges.

Responding to Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader J. Hemachandran's remark on setting up of desalination plants with Central assistance, Ms. Jayalalithaa said her Government would welcome such proposals. The State Pollution Control Board, which had given no-objection certificate to South India Bottling Company at Gangaikondan in Tirunelveli district for manufacturing soft drinks, had laid down that the unit should not directly or indirectly exploit groundwater but should only use 900 kilolitres supplied by SIPCOT from the Tamiraparani, the Chief Minister said.

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