Asserting that her government was thinking round-the-clock about new schemes that could be introduced for the benefit of the people, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Friday told the State Legislative Assembly that all the announcements she has made as suo motu statements under Rule 110 of the House were thought over a hundred times in consultation with the Finance Secretary.
Ms. Jayalalithaa was responding to DMK Deputy Floor Leader M. Duraimurugan who wondered why she was making suo motu announcements when the debate and voting on the demands for grants for the Departments concerned were already over in the Assembly.
The Chief Minister had announced new schemes in the Public Works and Highways Departments for which the debate and voting had happened last week.
Maintaining that any government could not think of all the plans and schemes at the same time, Ms. Jayalalithaa questioned the erstwhile DMK government’s track record in implementing the schemes. “We have been thinking about the people from dawn to dusk. We have been thinking what new schemes could be brought for the people,” she said.
The schemes announced by the Ministers concerned on the days of the debate and voting on demands for grants were those that the government could think of till then, she said and added, “I realised we missed out these schemes and so I am announcing the schemes now. Every department is like that. That’s it.”
Claiming that hers was a “responsible” government, Ms. Jayalalithaa said, “I would like to clearly say that I announce the schemes only after consulting with the Finance Secretary present here on the funds, and only after his approval, I am announcing the schemes here.”
However, DMK members protested and eventually staged a walkout. Members of the Congress and the Indian Union Muslim League too staged a walkout after they weren’t given a chance to speak. Earlier, Speaker P. Dhanapal refused to allow a debate on the suo motu statements made by the Chief Minister in the House and said announcements made under Rule 110 of the House could only be welcomed and were not open for debate.
