Only Centre can set up cement price authority: CM

By Our Tamil Nadu Bureau

CHENNAI, AUG. 23. It is upto the Union Government to set up a cement price regulatory authority, the Chief Minister, Ms. Jayalalithaa, said today.

Intervening in the debate on the State budget in the Assembly, the Chief Minister clarified that in the Governor's address, the Government had only stated it would press the Centre to set up such an authority since the State Governments did not have the powers to do so. Ms. Jayalalithaa said the Government had met representatives of producers on two occasions and requested them to reduce the price.

Girl child scheme

The benefits of the girl child protection scheme could not be extended to families with more than two girl children as it would run counter to the Government's emphasis on family planning, the Chief Minister said, intervening at another point. The goals of the scheme were providing security for girl children and encouraging family planning.

Vellore medical college soon

The Government had identified the land for starting a medical college in Vellore and it would become functional soon.

The Chief Minister's announcement came in response to the TMC whip, Mr. C. Gnanasekaran's plea for establishing the college soon. The college had not come up despite a repeated assurance given in the past five years by the then DMK regime, he charged.

TMC-DMK exchange

Participating in the debate on the budget, Mr. Gnanasekaran, flung barbs at the Opposition DMK and PMK, sparking some heated exchanges.

When he said the erstwhile Chief Minister made a backdoor exit from the Assembly when the Opposition staged a dharna outside the Secretariat, a peeved DMK member, Mr. Pugazhendi, scornfully remarked that the TMC member had praised Mr. M. Karunanidhi on several occasions in the previous House.

As Mr. Karunanidhi was out of power, he was criticising him, Mr. Pugazhendi said. Stung by the jibe, the TMC member declared that he was ready to quit his MLA post if the party proved that he had ``praised'' Mr. Karunanidhi in the previous House.

``I am like the Tamil poet Nakkeeran, who will not fail to point out the failings of any Government'', Mr. Gnanasekaran asserted.

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