AIADMK will get a majority: CM

Dy. CM mocks Stalin’s promise of addressing people’s problems in 100 days

The AIADMK will return to power with a full majority after the Assembly election and the party’s allies will win all their seats, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami said in the State Assembly on Saturday.

In his final speech in the 15th Assembly on the floor of the House, Mr. Palaniswami criticised the Opposition for having claimed initially that his government would not last even a month.

“They kept making false claims that we will not survive even for a month, three months, six months. We have overcome all the hurdles and completed four years and have stepped into the fifth year, fulfilling the dreams of the late MGR, and Amma [Jayalalithaa] and have gained respect among the people,” Mr. Palaniswami said.

The Chief Minister said the government had worked so successfully that even those in the Opposition were praising its work.

The Chief Minister thanked all government officials for working to implement the government’s schemes and for their help in running the administration smoothly. He recalled some of the key schemes implemented by the government.

Estimates for 2020-21

Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, presenting the final supplementary estimates for the year 2020-21, mocked DMK president M.K. Stalin, who claimed that the petitions collected by him during his campaign would be addressed in the first 100 days if he was voted to power.

“Our government is already addressing issues on an everyday basis. People air their grievances and present petitions to the District Collectors every day and these are addressed on an immediate basis. Mr. Stalin is saying he will do this after 100 days. The Opposition parties, especially Mr. Stalin, are going to each place and making these types of false claims,” he said.

On the State’s finances, Mr. Panneerselvam devoted a major part of his speech to fuel prices. He said last year, the State government had reworked the way it was taxing fuel and hence the prices in the State had been under control. The pandemic, he said, had wreaked havoc in international markets and led to a volatile situation with regard to fuel prices.

“The Central government must come forward to reduce the taxes on fuel as the State’s financial sources are miniscule,” he said.

The 15th Assembly concluded on Saturday after the interim budget was passed to draw from the Consolidated Fund of the State to meet the estimated expenditure for a part of the financial year, commencing on April 1, 2021.

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