Alleging that the AIADMK had pushed the State into a debt trap, Opposition leader and DMK working president M.K. Stalin on Thursday pointed out that 18% of the revenue was going towards interest payment against the 11% used for the purpose during the 2006-11 DMK regime.
‘Warning signal’
“The 157-minute speech of Finance Minister O. Panneerselvam looked like an attempt to boil rice in a broken pot. The Budget, with heavy financial and revenue deficit and huge debts, has actually heralded a warning signal,” said Mr. Stalin, who, along with his party MLAs, turned up at the Assembly wearing a black shirt.
The DMK and Congress staged a walkout of the House as soon as Mr. Panneerselvam began presenting the Budget.
Later, they returned to the Assembly.
Alleging that there were no constructive announcements to ameliorate the living conditions of the fishermen, farmers and weavers, Mr. Stalin said the construction of a memorial for Jayalalithaa alone seemed to be the highlight of the Budget.
“The allocation for the memorial is ₹50 crore and another ₹20 crore has been allotted to buy the house of Jayalalithaa. But it has announced only ₹20 crore for constructing new fire service stations. There is no announcement to improve the infrastructure in the State,” he charged.
Earlier after walking out of the Assembly, he told reporters that the DMK MPs in Rajya Sabha had also boycott the session to press the demand. “The Cauvery Management Board has not been constituted even after the government held an all-party meeting and adopted a resolution. Though it was decided in the meeting that an all-party delegation would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he refused to grant appointment. The state government also has not made any efforts,” he said.
