CPI-M, Trinamool two sides of same coin: BJP

Chennai, Feb 15 (PTI) BJP''s Tamil Nadu unit today sought clarification from Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on adiscretionary quota for plots and shops in the ChennaiMetropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) while a similarsystem had been scrapped in TNHB following complaints ofirregularities.

BJP''s state unit president Pon.Radhakrishnan said that someallocations have also been made under the system, with 15percent quota reserved under the discretion of the Chairman ofCMDA.

''While the government had scrapped a similar system inTamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB) this discretionary quotacontinues in the CMDA.

It contradicts Chief Minister''s statement (in Assembly lastweek) that the AIADMK had first introduced the discretionaryquota and later amended it and the DMK was just following thatprocedure. But the CMDA adopted this quota system in 2009,during DMK rule. The Chief Minister must clarify on this,'''' hetold a press conference here.

He furnished a copy of the order, dated July 15, 2009,issued by the CMDA in this regad to buttress his claim.

Months after an alleged land scam in Tamil Nadu surfaced inconnection with the descretionary quota, Janata Partypresident Subramanian Swamy had petitioned Governor SurjitSingh Barnala seeking sanction to prosecute Karunanidhi inthis matter.

Karunanidhi had made a suo moto statement in the Assemblysaying the quota system was introduced in 1979 by the AIADMKgovernment which had later increased the government''s quotaduring its 1991-96 tenure.

In the Governor''s address to the Assembly last month, thestate government had said that it was immediately scrappingthe discretionary quota in TNHB.

To a question, Radhakrishnan said that the party was notinvolved in talks with other parties on alliance and said thatthe state unit intended to contest from all the 234 seats forthe Assembly elections due in May.