CHENNAI: The ‘Ondrinaivom Vaa’ campaign of DMK under the leadership of MK Stalin, which aims to reach out to people during the lockdown, is burning a hole in the pockets of functionaries as the party is allegedly not providing any funds for carrying out the relief measures. Referring to the cost of carrying out the works, a union secretary said, ‘Corona is indirectly killing me.’
The website that was launched in April says that it has received more than 12 lakh calls so far. The calls are redirected to union secretaries to do the needful for the poor, out of their own pockets. A union secretary of the central zone told Express while were providing relief in our neighbourhood voluntarily in the beginning, now the party leadership has made it compulsory.
“We have lost our businesses and are not billionaires to spend thousands of rupees daily without any income for over 40 days. I shudder when I hear the phone ring.” A union in-charge of southern district said, “Functionaries are not listening to me and I am being forced to shell out of my own pocket. I belong to MBC community and my assembly constituency is a reserved one.
“During the last assembly election, the party offered ticket to a new face who lost. Hence, most of the affluent Dalit members of the party are reluctant to spend money now. If the same situation continues I will tender my resignation,” he said. A union secretary from the North district said he lost the election by a few hundred votes and has mounting debts.
“I have spent at least `10 lakh for offering assistance such as dry rations, masks and sanitisers to thousands of people in my assembly constituency. In this situation, I have been receiving at least 30 to 40 calls from Ondrinaivom Vaa team and they ordered me to offer assistance without knowing my financial position,” he said adding that other party members in the constituency asked him bear expenses as he is likely to contest the next election.