TN minister faces wrath for ‘VVIP culture’
CHENNAI: A Tamil Nadu minister has been caught in a row on Thursday ater videos emerged of him being carried on the shoulders of fishermen to avoid his footwear from geting wet.
Fisheries Minister Anitha Radhakrishnan was carried by fishermen during his official visit to a coastal village in Tiruvallur near Chennai.
Radhakrishnan was to inspect sea erosion in the Pazhaverkadu fishing hamlet on Thursday. As he disembarked ater a boat ride, he was carried by a fisherman in barely ankle-deep water.
Officials said he was trying to ensure that his expensive, sparkling white sneakers and dhoti do not get wet.
On the social media, the video was widely and drew widespread condemnation from the netizens. They slammed the 68-year-old leader for his “VVIP” atitude.
Many asked why he could not just fold his dhoti and remove his shoes, rather than make a poor fisherman carry him. They demanded his exit, calling him a stain on the MK Stalin government.
Also on Thursday, Tamil Nadu’s highest court has asked the state government to explain how a Rs1.33 billion fund set apart for Covid-affected physically challenged persons has been spent.
The order came as Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar heard petitions by organisations that protect the interests of the disabled people.
Many physically challenged people have lost their livelihood in the atermath of the pandemic and need adequate compensation, the petitions said.
The government told the court that Rs1,000 is being given to every disabled person who was affected by Covid 19. The money comes from the Rs1.33 billion fund.
The government also said it cannot guarantee any additional payment as of now. Already Rs694 million has been distributed.
The judges were not satisfied with the government explanation and insisted that full details be provided by next week.
Officials, meanwhile, said on Thursday that the daily count of COVID-19 cases show a continued to fall in Tamil Nadu. The state recorded 3367 positive cases in the past 24 hours.
The state recorded 64 deaths on Wednesday, puting the state toll at 33,196.
The overall caseload stood at 25,06,848 while total recoveries mounted to 24,39,576.
Coimbatore topped the list of daily additions of cases at 385 followed by Erode at 288 and Salem 214. Chennai’s tally dropped to 196.