A staggering ₹3 crores is being spent on maintenance and repair works for the upcoming two-day Tamil Nadu Assembly session, raising concerns about the use of public funds.
Following the DMK government’s assumption of power in 2021, assembly sessions were temporarily moved to Chennai’s Kalaivanar Arangam due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Once the pandemic subsided, sessions returned to Fort St. George, where extensive renovations were carried out, costing ₹5 crores. These included new seating, upgraded electrical equipment, and the installation of touch-screen mini-computers on the desks of ministers and MLAs to facilitate paperless proceedings. LED screens were also set up to display assembly-related information.
Additional works are underway for the current two-day session, such as varnishing tables and doors, repairing microphones, touch-screen devices, lights, and speakers, painting walls, and even replacing restroom fixtures for male and female MLAs. The cumulative cost for these efforts amounts to ₹3 crores, sparking criticism over the perceived extravagance for such a short assembly session.
(With inputs from Dinamalar)
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