AIADMK Accuses Centre Of Trying To 'Push Through' Legislations

Chennai, Jan 30: Charging the Centre with being “unhelpful”, the AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu today said the Congress-led UPA's continued attempts to “push through” legislations and adopt a “one-size-fits-all” approach in Central schemes would not help Centre-State ties. 

“The continued attempts by the Union Government to push through legislations encroaching upon State powers and the adoption of a one-size-fits-all approach in designing schemes do not augur well for a healthy Centre-State relationship”, Governor K Rosaiah said in his address to the assembly.

Asking Centre to adopt a flexible approach in formulating and implementing national schemes by fixing only the broad objectives and framework, he said the states should have the freedom of designing the schemes to meet their specific needs.

This could be done by dovetailing Central funds with the State's resources providing better synergy and focusing on achieving intended goals, Rosaiah said.

In his address, Rosaiah referred to the Mullaperiyar Dam issue on which Tamil Nadu is locked in dispute with Kerala, attack on Tamil Nadu fishermen by Sri Lankan Navy, relief to Thane-hit people and various other schemes being formulated by the Jayalalithaa-led government.

On the Centre's Food Security Bill, he said the proposed measure needed “drastic modifications, incorporating provisions for providing flexibility to the State governments or for exempting those States which already have a well-functioning system from the application of the Act”.

“We will voice our opposition to the Food Security Bill in its present form as proposed by the Union Government”, he said, adding, Tamil Nadu has the best functioning universal PDS in the country.

On the Mullaperiyar Dam row, Rosaiah said, “Unfortunately, being a lower riparian State, Tamil Nadu has often been the victim of false and parochial campaigns launched with short-sighted political interests and the persistent indifference of the Union Government”.

Tamil Nadu has shown “utmost restraint and ably handled the recent incidents”, the Governor said, adding, “the attempts on the part of the Kerala state to whip up mass fear and insecurity through false propaganda have been the primary cause of these (violent) incidents”.

Appealing to the people of Kerala not to succumb to such “malicious campaigns”, Rosaiah categorically stated that Tamil Nadu government would “never compromise on the rights of our State and the livelihood of our farmers and will defend our rights in all appropriate fora and courts of law”.

Asking the Centre to direct Kerala to abide by the Supreme Court decision, he said the time has come for a rethink on the present institutional framework as several inter-state river water disputes remain unresolved for many years.

Tamil Nadu also said the Centre's proposed Dam Safety Bill, 2010 should ensure entrusting the safety of dams to the Dam Safety Cell of the State owning the dam, instead of the state where it is situated.

Expressing deep concern about continuing attacks on and harassment of Tamil Nadu fishermen by Sri Lankan Navy, he urged the Centre to take up this issue strongly with Colombo.

Rosaiah also reiterated Tamil Nadu government's clear resolve to “regain” Kachchatheevu so as to restore the lost rights of its fishermen.