AIADMK likely to confront BJP in Parl on dam, UGC bill
EPS Government Feels Heat Of Poor Finances
Julie.Mariappan@timesgroup.com
Chennai: 15.07.2018
As the monsoon session of Parliament is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam have convened a meeting of the AIADMK MPs and senior functionaries on Monday to decide the party’s strategy during the month-long session. The meeting gains significance as it comes close on the heels of the AIADMK adopting a confrontationist stand with the Centre on a range of issues.
Palaniswami on Saturday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding that the proposed move to scrap the UGC, vested with regulatory and financial powers, be dropped. The state has strong reservations over the draft bill on setting up the Higher Education Commission of India, because it lacks financial powers. “Our experience of sanction of funds objectively based on merits to Tamil Nadu has not been very positive by various ministries of government of India. Further, if this financial power is taken over by ministry, we apprehend that the funding pattern would change from 100% funding to 60:40 ratio between the Centre and state,” the CM said. His government had earlier objected to the Dam Safety Bill, 2018. TN assembly also passed a unanimous resolution against the Dam Safety Bill.
The 17-month-old EPS regime has been feeling the heat of poor finances and Centre’s ‘indifference.’ Partly, it has to blame itself. Devolution of funds to local bodies is not happening as there is no elected body in the state. Both the CM and his deputy have not been able to get an appointment with the PM for one-on-one meetings since October, last year. Rampant corruption in the state administration has become a talking point.
BJP national president Amit Shah’s recent remarks that TN was one of the most corrupt states is widely perceived as criticism of the AIADMK government. Whether the translator got it wrong or not, LS deputy speaker M Thambidurai on Saturday hit back. “There is no place for national parties, including the BJP, in Tamil Nadu,” he said.
On Friday, Thambidurai had taken a dig at Shah for addressing the party meet in Hindi, instead of his mother tongue, Gujarati. “And they seem to promise protection of Tamil language and culture. Is it possible,” he asked.
He said Tamils would come together and fight against the “forces” that impose policies like one language, one country, one election and one tax. Against this backdrop, the BJP may need the AIADMK support for the RS deputy chairman election. BJP RS MP L Ganesan said Amit Shah did not comment on any political party or government. “We (BJP) want to give corruption-free government and that is what he meant,” he said.
POLITICAL CALCULATIONS
EPS Government Feels Heat Of Poor Finances
Julie.Mariappan@timesgroup.com
Chennai: 15.07.2018
As the monsoon session of Parliament is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam have convened a meeting of the AIADMK MPs and senior functionaries on Monday to decide the party’s strategy during the month-long session. The meeting gains significance as it comes close on the heels of the AIADMK adopting a confrontationist stand with the Centre on a range of issues.
Palaniswami on Saturday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding that the proposed move to scrap the UGC, vested with regulatory and financial powers, be dropped. The state has strong reservations over the draft bill on setting up the Higher Education Commission of India, because it lacks financial powers. “Our experience of sanction of funds objectively based on merits to Tamil Nadu has not been very positive by various ministries of government of India. Further, if this financial power is taken over by ministry, we apprehend that the funding pattern would change from 100% funding to 60:40 ratio between the Centre and state,” the CM said. His government had earlier objected to the Dam Safety Bill, 2018. TN assembly also passed a unanimous resolution against the Dam Safety Bill.
The 17-month-old EPS regime has been feeling the heat of poor finances and Centre’s ‘indifference.’ Partly, it has to blame itself. Devolution of funds to local bodies is not happening as there is no elected body in the state. Both the CM and his deputy have not been able to get an appointment with the PM for one-on-one meetings since October, last year. Rampant corruption in the state administration has become a talking point.
BJP national president Amit Shah’s recent remarks that TN was one of the most corrupt states is widely perceived as criticism of the AIADMK government. Whether the translator got it wrong or not, LS deputy speaker M Thambidurai on Saturday hit back. “There is no place for national parties, including the BJP, in Tamil Nadu,” he said.
On Friday, Thambidurai had taken a dig at Shah for addressing the party meet in Hindi, instead of his mother tongue, Gujarati. “And they seem to promise protection of Tamil language and culture. Is it possible,” he asked.
He said Tamils would come together and fight against the “forces” that impose policies like one language, one country, one election and one tax. Against this backdrop, the BJP may need the AIADMK support for the RS deputy chairman election. BJP RS MP L Ganesan said Amit Shah did not comment on any political party or government. “We (BJP) want to give corruption-free government and that is what he meant,” he said.
POLITICAL CALCULATIONS
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