MLAs belonging to the opposition AIADMK on Thursday staged a walkout from the Puducherry Assembly to register their protest against the government’s failure to collect arrears from cable TV operators in Puducherry for the last several years.
Speaking during the Question Hour, AIADMK MLA Om Sakthi Sekar said that the government was turning a deaf ear to cable TV operators defaulting on payment of arrears to the Puducherry municipality.
Mr. Sekar further pointed out that the cable TV operators were looting the public money.
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A private operator under the guise of Multi System Operator (MSO) was netting Rs. 20 crore per year from monthly charges and was defaulting payment of statutorily prescribed fees.
AIADMK Deputy Legislature Leader A. Anbalagan said that the government should not be lax in collecting dues from the operators who were levying Rs.250 for a connection.
The municipality was losing its revenue. Hence, the government could float a corporation on the lines of Tamil Nadu to run cable TV in the Union Territory, he said.
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Earlier, N.G. Pannir Selvam, Minister for Local Administration, said that there were around 58,234 cable TV connections in Puducherry and that tax to the tune of Rs. 3.03 crore was to be collected from the cable TV operators.
Mr. Anbalagan said that the government was in collusion with MSO and cable TV operators. It was giving full liberty to the operators to evade taxes.
Later four of the MLAs led by the Legislature Party leader P. Purushothaman staged a walkout from the House while another MLA L. Periyasamy remained in his seat.
Sources said Mr. Periyasamy didn’t participate in the walkout as a question raised by him figured next on the list during the Question Hour.