AIADMK boycotts Tamil Nadu budget

Chennai, Mar 20: The Opposition AIADMK today boycotted the presentaion of the Tamil Nadu budget for 2008-09 and staged a walkout in the Legislative Assembly in protest against the deterioration of the law and order situation, rise in prices of essential commodities and unannounced power cuts by the DMK regime.

Soon after Speaker R Avudaiyappan called Finance Minister K Anbazhagan to present the budget, Deputy Leader of the Opposition O Panneerselvam read out a prepared speech. However, the Speaker expunged his remarks.

Later, Mr Panneerselvam and AIADMK Whip K A Sengottaiyan told reporters outside the Assembly hall that the State had remained a haven of peace during the previous AIADMK regime. But, under the present DMK rule, extremism, terrorism, infiltration of LTTE activists, murder and dacoities have become the order of the day.

Tamil Nadu had become number one State following deterioration of law and order situation, he alleged.

He claimed that during the previous AIADMK regime, there was no power cut. But now darkness was engulfing the State because of unannounced power cuts, due to which industries, farmers, students and the general public were put to a lot of hardship. Likewise, poor people were burdened by the rising price of essential commodities.

The AIADMK leader said the party boycotted the budget and staged a walkout, condemning the Government which failed to improve the standard of living of the people by not checking price rise, deteriorating condition of law and order and problem of power cuts.

UNI