Opposition slams CM
Leader of the Opposition, V Vaithilingam, on Tuesday said that the Territorial Government should have paid the salaries due to the employees than settling arbitration amounts pertaining to civil constructions.
The government had sanctioned around Rs 35 crore to settle arbitration amounts for civil constructions, Rs 20 crore towards the construction of Rajiv Gandhi Women and Children Hospital and approximately Rs 15 crore for the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, recently, he said. The payment came at a time when the UT was under severe financial crisis, with the government using GPF deposits of employees. The payment could have been kept pending till finances were available (from tax and non-tax revenues), Vaithilingam said.
Vaithilingam further questioned the necessity of the transfer of Finance Secretary and asked whether the move would help the UT in tiding over the financial crisis. He said that the government should come clear on the motive that necessitated the said transfer.
Vaithilingam charged the ruling AINRC government with financial indiscipline and said that the functioning of the government was detrimental to the welfare of people and asked the government to respect the decision of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) nullifying the transfer of the Finance Secretary.