No undue favours shown to Stalin, says Karunanidhi

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, JULY 11. The DMK leader and former Chief Minister, Mr. M. Karunanidhi, today denied that any undue favour was shown in enhancing the financial powers of the Chennai Corporation Mayor, Mr. M.K. Stalin, just because he was his son.

Refuting the allegations by the Chief Minister, Ms. Jayalalithaa, Mr. Karunanidhi said the ceiling on the financial powers of not only the Chennai Mayor but also of Coimbatore and Madurai Mayors was increased by a GO issued in March 1998.

During the previous AIADMK regime itself, the financial powers of the Chennai Mayor were increased by a GO issued in March 1993. For getting the GO approved, the file concerned was sent to the Government. Not only this file, about 400 others which were sent for approval were not cleared by the then Government.

Heads of various local bodies also passed a resolution in November 1996 demanding enhancement of their financial powers.

After taking all these into consideration, he said, the GO was issued in 1998, covering the Chennai, Coimbatore, and Madurai Corporations.

``It was not done with an ulterior motive to favour any particular individual, as alleged by the Chief Minister''.

Mr. Karunanidhi also accused the Chennai Corporation officials of not cooperating with the Mayor in carrying out developmental works, on the orders the State Government.

Officials were afraid of cooperating as the previous Commissioner, Mr. Shanmuga Rajeswaran, was transferred just because he made a courtesy call on the Mayor after taking charge.

This was not the case when the DMK and Congress Governments were in power. During the Kamaraj and Bhatavatsalam rule, there was no interference from the Government though the Chennai Corporation was under the DMK control.

The present Government, Mr. Karunanidhi said, wanted to do away with local bodies headed by Opposition parties as it could not tolerate their functioning. While he was not against taking action against local bodies for their irregularities, it should not be vindicative.

He cited the dissolution of the DMK-controlled Vellore and Nagapattinam - by the previous Government for their acts of omission and commission.

It was unfortunate that the AIADMK allies were not raising their voice against the Government for its `undemocratic attitude' for reasons known to them.

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Section  : Southern States
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