Chennai: Politicos donate money to government fund to fight Covid-19

TNN | Mar 26, 2020, 08.48 AM IST

CHENNAI: DMK president M K Stalin on Wednesday asked all the party MPs and MLAs to use their constituency development funds to procure masks, sanitizers, thermal sensors, ventilators and protective gears for health department officials. However, strangely, Stalin said the MPs and MLAs must consult the party district secretaries to assess the requirement before allocating funds.

Former Union health minister and Rajya Sabha member Anbumani Ramadoss said he would allocate 3 crore from his MP's local area development fund to the state government to purchase medical equipment. He said the government was in need of huge funds to fight Covid-19.

TNCC president K S Alagiri said on Wednesday that each TN Congress MP would set aside 1 crore from the constituency development fund for creating medical facilities to fight Covid-19. They would coordinate with respective district collectors. Likewise, the seven Congress MLAs too would set aside a substantial amount from their constituency development fund for this, he said.

Stalin said it was disappointing that the government has announced only 1,000 financial aid to ration card holders, construction workers and auto drivers' families. The government failed in assessing the sufferings caused to people by Covid-19 lockdown, said Stalin. He urged the government to provide financial aid to migrant workers also. The government has said only registered small vendors would be given financial aid. There are many street vendors and flower sellers who have not registered themselves with government agencies. They should also be covered in the welfare aid, he said.

Noting that many drivers working for Ola and Uber have EMI commitments, Stalin called upon the Central government to put a three-month moratorium on all EMI payments to help the borrowers tide over the present crisis. Similar benefits should be extended to other borrowers like marginal, small and medium farmers and small shop owners. He also demanded a three-month moratorium on loan repayment for people who had borrowed from TIDCO and other state government financial institutions.

Stalin also questioned the sudden transfer of Dr G Chandrasekar from Stanley Medical College Hospital to Tuticorin Medical College and wanted an explanation from state health minister C Vijaya Baskar. He also demanded that all people in health and police departments and sanitary workers involved in fighting Covid-19 be given a special pay of 5,000.