Tamil Nadu Assembly Witnesses Fiery Debate Over Government Employee Welfare
The Tamil Nadu legislative assembly on Thursday became the stage for intense political sparring as Chief Minister M K Stalin and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami engaged in heated exchanges over the welfare of government employees and unfulfilled electoral promises. The session saw both leaders trading sharp accusations and defending their respective records on public service commitments.
Clash Over Pension Scheme and Employee Grievances
The debate ignited when AIADMK MLA and former industries minister P Thangamani launched an attack on the ruling DMK government, highlighting the rising state debt and ongoing protests by government employees. Palaniswami specifically accused the state administration of deceiving employees by failing to implement the DMK's poll promise of reinstating the old pension scheme.
Chief Minister Stalin countered these allegations vigorously, asserting that his government had resolved a longstanding 23-year problem concerning employee demands. "They (government employees) are happy, and that is what is troubling you," Stalin remarked pointedly to the opposition leader. He further questioned AIADMK's "newfound concern" for government employees, asking why such attention was absent during their own tenure.
Stalin emphasized that unlike previous administrations, the DMK government had chosen dialogue over confrontation. "We neither invoked TESMA nor remained mute spectators to protests," he stated, referring to the Tamil Nadu Essential Services Maintenance Act. School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi supported this claim, revealing that the chief minister had conducted 15 rounds of discussions with employee representatives and provided assurances that all grievances would be addressed systematically.
MGNREGS Workdays and Investment Competition
The focus then shifted to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), with Thangamani questioning the DMK's unfulpledged promise to increase workdays from 100 to 150. Stalin clarified that MGNREGS is a Union government scheme and expressed confidence that the commitment could be realized once the INDIA bloc assumes power at the Centre. He turned the tables on AIADMK by asking, "What stops AIADMK from asking its alliance partner, BJP, to extend the working days to 150?"
When the discussion turned to investments, Stalin noted that Tamil Nadu faces stiff competition from other states in attracting business ventures, highlighting the broader economic challenges confronting the region.
Recrimination Over Unfulfilled Promises
Palaniswami argued that only those aligned with the DMK had expressed gratitude to the chief minister, while others remained dissatisfied. He warned that the impact of this discontent would become evident in future election results.
Public Works Department Minister E V Velu concluded the debate by listing over a dozen promises from the previous AIADMK regime that he claimed were never fulfilled. These included:
- Free mobile phones for ration card holders
- The proposed monorail project
- Raising the water level at Mullaiperiyar dam
Stalin also announced that the assembly would adopt a special resolution concerning MGNREGS on Friday, underscoring the government's ongoing focus on rural employment and welfare schemes.
The assembly session thus highlighted the deep political divisions in Tamil Nadu, with both major parties vigorously defending their records while accusing each other of failing to deliver on key promises to the electorate and public servants.
