Chennai: Was it the case that the schemes of the previous DMK and AIADMK governments were renamed and announced as new schemes? A heated debate on this issue took place in the Assembly between ministers and DMK and AIADMK members.
The members then spoke as follows:
AIADMK member Agri Krishnamurthy: The Thalikku Thangam scheme, introduced during the AIADMK regime, has been renamed as the Annan Seer Thittam; the laptop scheme as the Vetri Laptop Scheme; and the free bicycle scheme as the Modern Bicycle Scheme, and these have been announced in the budget as if they were new schemes.
Minister Nirmal Kumar: Old schemes will be given a new form of implementation and those schemes will be carried out. Minister Aadhav
Arjuna: Whether it is a DMK scheme or an AIADMK scheme, we have updated the good schemes. Amma canteens, introduced during the previous AIADMK regime, are being continued with funding allocations and are being implemented. That is our Chief Minister.
Former DMK Minister K.N. Nehru: Amma canteens were also continued during the DMK regime. The employees who worked there were kept in the same jobs.
Former AIADMK Minister S.P. Velu: Amma Canteens are a visionary scheme of the AIADMK. During the DMK regime, Amma Canteens were not properly implemented.
Minister Aadhav Arjuna: During the previous DMK regime, Amma Canteens were functioning only in name.
Former Chief Minister Palaniswami: There is no problem in continuing the previous government’s schemes under a new administration. The problem arises only when the names of the schemes are changed.
Minister K.A. Sengottaiyan: Renaming schemes introduced by one government under a new government is nothing new. The names of many schemes have been changed.
TVK MLA Ravishankar: In the TVK government, Chief Minister Vijay’s picture does not appear in any government scheme. This was the discussion that took place.
