CHENNAI: Terming the state govt’s white paper on Tamil Nadu’s finances as a “white paper in name alone,” former finance minister Thangam Thennarasu on Tuesday said the document was merely an attempt to divert attention from the ruling dispensation’s failure to fulfil its poll promises.READ ALSO: Tamil Nadu’s debt nearly doubled over last five years and stands at Rs 13.18 lakh crore, says white paper released by Vijay govtResponding to the white paper released by finance minister Marie Wilson, Thennarasu said the state’s financial position had already been explained in detail in previous budget documents and official financial statements. He alleged that the TVK govt was now attempting to create a narrative around the report to mask what he described as its administrative shortcomings and inability to implement several of its election commitments.“After coming to power on the strength of extravagant promises, the govt has realised the difficulty of delivering on many of them. The so-called white paper is an effort to conceal that failure rather than provide any new financial clarity,” he said in a social media post.The former minister alleged that the report was aimed at shielding the govt from growing public criticism over unfulfilled assurances. According to him, the exercise was intended to serve as an “escape route” from accountability rather than a genuine assessment of the state’s fiscal health.Thennarasu said the govt’s attempt to build public anticipation around the release had ended in disappointment.The former minister said he would soon issue a detailed response addressing the contents of the report and the claims made by the TVK govt regarding Tamil Nadu’s financial position.
