Chennai: Tamil Nadu assembly on Friday saw a heated debate over the maintenance of Amma canteens, with TVK alleging that the previous DMK govt had neglected the eateries. DMK sought to nail the TVK govt over the implementation of welfare schemes announced in the budget.The issue started when AIADMK leader Agri S S Krishnamurthy accusing TVK govt of renaming the schemes launched by AIADMK.PWD minister Aadhav Arjuna responded that the TVK govt had not changed the name of Amma canteens. “We are not merely changing the names, but we have updated some of them and given a fresh name. However, in the case of Amma canteens, we didn’t change their names but rather allocated additional funds that allow their proper functioning, which was not the case with the previous DMK govt,” he said.Former DMK minister K N Nehru refuted the accusation. “Amma canteens were functioning efficiently under our govt. Even the temporary workers appointed by AIADMK govt in Amma canteens were not removed,” Nehru said.When Nehru said the local bodies operated the canteens and that the AIADMK govt had not allotted funds, former AIADMK minister S P Velumani intervened and said the govt had allotted ₹100 crore when the scheme was launched in 2018.Towards the end of the debate, Aadhav said the current regime was itself an ‘Amma govt’. “We are following what Amma (late chief minister J Jayalalithaa) did,’’ he said in response to AIADMK MLA Dileepan Jaishankar, who reiterated the charge that the TVK govt renamed ‘Amma govt’s schemes’.Later, former DMK minister S Regupathy questioned the govt’s fund allocation for Thaai Maaman Seer and Annan Seer schemes. He said the fund allotted for the schemes, which envisage providing gold for women, was inadequate. He demanded that the govt ensure the state’s growth rate doesn’’t not fall below 10 %.
