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Sattankulam poll, a referendum on anti-conversion law: Raja

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI March 31. The BJP MLA, H. Raja, today said the Sattankulam byelection constituted a referendum on the law barring forcible conversions.

Commenting on the budget proposals in the Assembly, he said though the Opposition parties, during their campaign, met leaders of minority religious groups, they could not make much headway in the poll. Hence, the debate on the law should end now, as the people had rejected the Opposition contention, he said, amidst protest from Opposition benches.

The CPI leader, G. Palanisamy, alleged that the free rice was not supplied in many places. Till March 28, it was distributed in his district, Tiruvarur. Intervening, the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, said 9.77 lakh families in the State benefited from the scheme. In Tiruvarur, 48,000 families were beneficiaries.

Both the left parties, the CPI and the CPI(M) accused the Government of succumbing to the dictates of the World Bank. The treasury benches asked the leaders which dictates the Government had succumbed to and asked if the Communists-ruled West Bengal did not follow the dictates.

Ms. Jayalalithaa said that in West Bengal, the price of rice for those below the poverty line was Rs. 6, while for those above the poverty line, it was Rs. 9. Mr. Palanisamy said this was the rate at which rice was being sold through the PDS for a long time there. The West Bengal Government had not increased the price for a long time, he said, contending that only when a concession enjoyed by people was withdrawn, they were agitated. Also, Tamil Nadu should compare itself with other States as it wanted to be the number one among all States. J. Hemachandran (CPI-M), said the decision to close down sugar cooperatives was unfortunate. The Government should reconsider its decision. Ms. Jayalalithaa, intervening again, said the factories had accumulated losses to an extent that it was not possible to revive them. ``The Government does not have the funds. There is no other way.''

While the treasury benches repeatedly intervened on many occasions, the issue of shifting the Secretariat again elicited a low-key response. The Finance Minister, C. Ponnaiyan, wanted to know if Mr. Hemachandran favoured waiting till such time the buildings with ``leaky toilets'' collapsed before thinking of a new building.

The CPI(M) leader asked why the Government should think of the project now at a time of an unprecedented drought.

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