DMK members write to Speaker to opt out of car offer

CHENNAI: The principal Opposition party, the DMK, has submitted a letter to Assembly Speaker JCD Prabhakar, stating that it rejects the government's proposal to provide cars to MLAs.

The letter, drafted on the letterhead of the Leader of Opposition and addressed to Assembly Speaker Prabhakar, stated that, as per the earlier decision taken by the party leadership, the DMK rejected the government's proposal to provide cars and an allowance for maintenance and personal assistants, amounting to around Rs 1 lakh for each MLA.

The 59 MLAs representing the DMK have signed the annexure pages of the letter individually, while the alliance party MLAs have handwritten their names and signatures.

"Speaker Prabhakar has yet to decide on the letter. All issues will be sorted out once the Assembly Secretariat finalises the arrangements on the car issue, including the DMK's decision," an Assembly official said.

Meanwhile, the actual outcome of such a communication is in question, as the government has decided to hike the MLAs' salaries, including perks, as part of the package. So, even though DMK stands by its decision not to receive cars, they won't be in a position to completely reject it as it would land in their accounts as part of the monthly salary.

When Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay announced the scheme in the Assembly, Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin announced that all 59 DMK legislators had decided not to avail themselves of the offer. He questioned the TVK-led government's consistency, pointing out that the administration had frequently highlighted the State's financial distress since taking office.