Date:24/01/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/01/24/stories/2007012407241000.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Congress members urge Karunanidhi to form a coalition government

Special Correspondent

It will put an end to "minority government theory harped on by the Opposition"

"Andhra Pradesh has decided to go ahead with plan for dam across Palar"

PMK urges Government to regulate the fee structure in private schools

CHENNAI: Raising the power-sharing issue for the first time in the Assembly, two Congress members on Tuesday appealed to Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi to form a coalition Government in the State in view of the successful experiments at the Centre and in many States.

Speaking on the motion of thanks to the Governor's address, Congress member C.Gnanasekaran said the coalition concept had been successful at the Centre. The coalition form of governance had been catching up with States including Maharashtra and Kerala. Mr. Karunanidhi should come forward to implement the coalition strategy in Tamil Nadu too.

His party colleague M.Rajasekharan said the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government at the Centre had placed the country on a high trajectory of growth. Coalition politics had come to stay in States including Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Karnataka. Coalition rule would put an end to the "minority Government" theory harped on by the Opposition All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, besides fulfilling the aspirations of the Congress.

M.K.Vishnuprasad described the electoral alliance led by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam as a "joint family" with members having different tastes, though they were together. Various certificates issued by the DMK Government bore the picture of Mr.Karunanidhi. However, identity cards given to beneficiaries of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme did not bear the photo of any leader.

He said the Government should take steps to inscribe the pictures of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Mr. Karunanidhi on ID cards issued to the beneficiaries under the Centrally sponsored scheme.

Mr.Gnanasekaran quoted reports stating that the Andhra Pradesh Government had gone against its promise to Tamil Nadu by deciding to go ahead with the plan to construct a dam across the Palar. It would push five districts in the State into a trap of drinking water crisis, he said, asking the Government to stop it.

Dr. Vishnuprasad asked the Government to prevent the move to shift the prestigious highways research station from Guindy to another venue. He pleaded for writing off the Rs.800-crore loan given to handloom weavers.

A.Tamizharasu (Pattali Makkal Katchi) asked the Government to regulate the fee structure in private schools. Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi member T.Ravikumar said as of now there was no need for rewriting the Constitution, as amending the provisions concerned was sufficient to preserve measures such as social justice.

Member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) V.Marimuthu stressed the need for intensifying distribution of wasteland to landless farmers. S.Gunasekaran (Communist Party of India) urged the Government to issue ID cards to individual members of the Tamil Nadu Farmers' Welfare Board instead of providing family cards.