Date:12/05/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/05/12/stories/2006051205740500.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Forum hails change in government

Special Correspondent

"State, World Bank's testing ground"

Because of the Government's policies, students, farmers and weavers were affected
Owing to the ban on recruitment, three lakh vacancies exist in government departments

Jayalalithaa has failed to address the problems of trade and industry

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Government Employees Association (TNGEA) and the Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry have welcomed the change in government in the State.

The TNGEA said that in the last five years, the AIADMK Government had made the State into a World Bank's testing ground.

In the name of administrative reforms, the administrative structure was destroyed. As a ban was imposed on recruitment, three lakh vacancies existed in government departments, and educated youth remained without jobs.

Outsourcing was done in government departments. Consolidated pay was given for government servants and teachers. Pension was restructured. Because of the Government's policies, students, farmers and weavers were affected.

Various sections had great expectations from the new government, the association said.

The Tamil Nadu Government Employees Union, the Tamil Nadu Government Officials Union and the Tamilaga Asiriyar Kootani hoped the new Government would protect the interests of government employees.

The Southern India Chamber of Commerce and Industry said the vision, wisdom and dynamism of DMK president M. Karunanidhi enabled the DPA to win the election. The Chamber offered its cooperation to the new Government.

The Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry said the main reason for the slide of the AIADMK-led front was the "marked distance the Chief Minister always kept between herself and the representatives of various sections." The Chief Minister earned the displeasure of the trade and industry by not redressing, or even hearing, its various grievances.

The people of Tamil Nadu would get a new government that would work in tandem with the Union Government, as industrial and economic progress of the State depended largely on speedy implementation of infrastructure projects.

Congratulating Mr.Karunanidhi on his party's victory, Prince of Arcot Mohammed Abdul Ali said the DMK leader should keep "revival of secularism on top of his agenda."

It was an indispensable requirement of democracy that elected representatives be approachable to all; they should "not become arrogant, swollen headed and unapproachable."

The Anglo-Indian Association of Southern India said: "under Mr. Karunanidhi's leadership, Tamil Nadu would become the number one State."