PMK member ribbed for playing Anbumani card

CHENNAI: A PMK legislator’s accusation that the previous DMK regime did not utilise financial allocations to Tamil Nadu by then Union Minister Anbumani Ramadoss set off a light-hearted debate in the State Assembly on Monday. Participating in the debate on the Demand for Grant to the Health Department, M Kalaiarasu (Anaicut) said Anbumani had allotted `5,000 crore to Tamil Nadu under the National Rural Health Mission. “A major portion of it was, however, unspent and sent back to the Centre during the previous DMK regime.”Similarly, `100 crore was allotted through the National Institute of Aging to set up a hospital. “This was also not used.” Also, `900 crore was allotted to establish a National Cancer Institute near Chennai. “Anbumani urged the DMK government to earmark 50 acres of land for the facility. As land was not given, the plan was dropped.”Kalaiarausu described how other allocations to develop the medical infrastructure in the State, including the Madurai Rajaji Hospital, went unutilised.Intervening, Municipal Administration Minister K P Munusamy wanted to know why the PMK aligned with the DMK in the Assembly polls in the first place.Kalaiarasu retorted that in politics change was common. Housing Minister R Vaithilingam said it was only a change in the alliance. “Political change is the desire of the people — that the AIADMK chief should assume power.”Stepping in, Chief Minister J Jayalaliahtaa wanted to know as to when the member had “discovered” such facts. “The member is now finding fault with the DMK regime for putting several schemes in cold storage. I would like to know when he found this out? Was it before or after forging a tie up for the polls? I want the member to clarify,” she said.Education Minister C Ve Shanmugam wanted to know who was behind the closing of the King Institute in Chennai. Rather than responding to his question, Kalaiarasu said, “The prevalence of diabetes had been shooting up,” which sent the House into peals of laughter.