Tamil Nadu: Rs 5 lakh FD for children who lost their parents due to alcohol

CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday reaffirmed that stringent action will be taken against the culprits in the Kallakurichi hooch deaths and appealed to shun attempts to gain political mileage out of the tragedy. He also announced relief assistance and support for children who lost their parents.

“I promise the Assembly that I will take stringent action to protect people from anti-social elements. I have the list of deaths that occurred due to illicit liquor during the previous AIADMK regime. But I don’t want to do politics based on these details,” Stalin said while replying to the special mention of the Kallkurichi tragedy in the Assembly.

Leaders of all political parties except AIADMK took part in the discussion. The AIADMK MLAs were evicted en masse earlier in the day but did not return to the House even after Speaker M Appavu allowed them to participate in the discussion.

Further, members of PMK and BJP staged a walkout after conveying their views on the issue. Two MLAs supporting former chief minister O Panneerselvam – R Vaithilingam and Manoj Pandian – also staged a walkout after conveying their views.

K Selvaperunthagai (Congress), GK Mani (PMK), Nainar Nagenthran (BJP), M Sithanaiselvan, Nagai Mali (CPM), T Ramachandran (CPI), Sadan Thirumalaikumar (MDMK), T Velmurugan (TVK) ER Eswaran (KNMDK) and P Abdul Samad (MMK) spoke on the issue.

Giving a detailed account of the action taken in the Kallakurichi tragedy, Stalin spoke on the demands that he should take responsibility for what had happened in Kallakurichi. “As not just the person handling the home portfolio, but as chief minister, I am not the one to run away from problems. It is because of realising my responsibility that I am providing answers responsibly. I have listed the actions taken. I am answering you after arresting the culprits responsible. I have been taking action against the offenders with an open mind and with an iron hand,” he added.

Stalin also announced additional relief to the children who lost both or one of their parents in the incident. The government will bear these children’s educational expenses, including hostel fees and other expenses, until their graduation. The government will pay Rs 5,000 per month as maintenance allowance till the age of 18 to those children who have lost both their parents and have to grow up under the care of a guardian.

For those children who have lost both father and mother, a fixed deposit of Rs 5 lakh will be made and the amount will be given to them with interest when they turn 18. Similarly, for the children who have lost either of the parents, a sum of Rs 3 lakh will be given as financial assistance immediately.

Besides, priority will be given to these children in all welfare schemes of the government. Depending on the children’s preferences, they can be admitted to government and government-aided hostels or homes. Moreover, the CM said based on the recommendations of the Gokuldas inquiry commission, the government would take further action to prevent such incidents in the future.

Stalin said after the DMK government assumed office, as many as 4.63 lakh cases have been filed against those who brew spurious liquor and 4.61 lakh people were arrested. A total of 565 people have so far been detained under Goondas Act while 16.51 lakh litres of spurious liquor has been seized. Besides, 28.78 lakh litres of brew for spurious liquor has been destroyed and 45 permanent prohibition checkposts are functioning across the state.

District SPs have been instructed to audit all methanol manufacturing units, those that utilise methanol and the factories which have licences to use methanol. Their monthly reports are being monitored at prohibition enforcement wing’s headquarters.

However, the methanol produced in neighbouring states and transported to Tamil Nadu illegally became reasons for such incidents (Kallakurichi tragedy). Stalin also said as far as Kallakurichi district is concerned, 10,154 people have been arrested on charges of brewing illicit liquor and selling narcotic substances and 58 have been detained under the Goondas Act.