DMK and TVK Clash in Assembly Over Shifting CM Office to Namakkal Kavignar Maligai

A heated exchange took place between the ruling TVK and the DMK in Chennai during the debate on the public works department's demand for grants in the Assembly, with the proposed shifting of the Chief Minister's office to Namakkal Kavignar Maligai emerging as a major point of contention.

DMK leader and former public works minister E.V. Velu questioned the proposed construction of a new Chief Minister's chamber at Namakkal Kavignar Maligai. Citing an English daily report regarding alleged irregularities in the tender process, Velu sought clarification from the government.

Public Works Department Minister Aadhav Arjuna rejected the allegations, stating that the tender process had not yet been finalised and the news report was incorrect. Arjuna explained that the existing Chief Minister's office lacked adequate space and proper toilet facilities, creating the need for a more suitable workplace.

Arjuna further stated that a comprehensive set of documents regarding the revaluation of contracts would be released. He claimed that several works awarded during the previous DMK regime were now receiving estimates 20 to 30 per cent lower upon re-evaluation, adding that officials could not move forward with major projects without bringing them to the minister's notice.

The debate also touched upon the proposed renaming of the Chief Minister's Breakfast Scheme after former chief minister K. Kamaraj. Velu said the DMK would welcome naming a new scheme after Kamaraj, but questioned changing the name of an existing programme. School Education Minister Rajamohan countered that renaming schemes was not unprecedented and stated that no name was more appropriate for the breakfast programme than Kamaraj's.

Velu also raised questions regarding the status of highway and urban development projects, the opening of the Periyar library in Coimbatore, and the implementation of the old pension scheme. In response to the pension debate, AIADMK leader Thalavai Sundaram noted that the contributory pension system was introduced under the Vajpayee government and criticised the DMK's previous handling of the issue.