AIADMK MLA make a dig at DMK Govt's rice scheme

Chennai, July 24 (UNI) Popular comedian S Ve Shekar (AIADMK), today made a dig on the ruling DMK's scheme to sell rice at rs two a kg.

Mr Shekar, making his maiden speech, plunged the house into laughter, before he completed his brief address, mixing it with some witty and serious remarks.

Participating in the general discussion on the revised budget for the year 2006-07, the actor-turned-politician, criticises the cheap rice scheme, saying that the gains of cheap rice scheme was a loss to the poor, as the cost of other public services including sanitation services.

Mr Shekar, highlighting the problems faced by sports lovers to depend on a private satellite channel whenever some important sports events take place, urged the Government to lift the Conditional Access System (CAS), which required set top boxes to view the pay channels.

He said for metros like the city, Mono rail was preferred to Metro rail and wanted the Government to implement the mono rail scheme to ease the traffic congestion.

On Government's proposal to grant a sum of Rs 95 lakh to a film on rationalist leader ''Periyar EV Ramasamy'', the actor said as the Chief Minister himself a good dialogue and script writer, the Government itself could produce the film, like the previous AIADMK Government made a film to convey the evils of drinking.

If the Government granted Rs 95 lakh to the film on Periyar, he would whether it would come forward to grant financial assistance to films on Rajaji and Vaidyanatha Iyer, who led the first temple entry movement.

Saying it other AIADMK members, Mr Shekar began his speech by thanking his father Venkataraman, who had donated several thousand units of blood and his mother, who encourages him to donate blood, before thanking party supremo J Jayalalithaa and his voters.

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