State Assembly complex would come up soon
Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Saturday announced that a new, spacious and modern State Assembly complex would come up soon on a different site , as the present one was cramped.Replying to felicitations in the Assembly to mark the golden jubilee of his legislative career, Mr. Karunanidhi made it clear that the Government would not touch land belonging to educational institutions for constructing the complex."The proposed project will not be implemented by demolishing any college building or dismantling any university complex."He was making the "golden jubilee announcement" in response to pleas from Members of the House.The project would be based on the dictum of "preserving the tradition and fostering modernity".Mr. Karunanidhi said the foundation stone for the complex would be laid shortly. The project would be completed during the tenure of the present Assembly. The Chief Minister reflected on the legislations passed by the Assembly right from the days of the first Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Government. They included the ones related to legalising self-respect marriage, renaming the State as Tamil Nadu, adopting the two-language formula, nationalising bus routes, providing electricity to all villages, reducing land ceiling, including Muslims in the Backward Classes list, setting up of Periyar Samathuvapurams, enabling persons belonging to all communities to become `archakas', making farm workers owners of their `kudiyiruppu', giving assistance for expectant mothers and providing for celebration of the birth anniversary of former Chief Minister K. Kamaraj, who warmly received him when he entered the House for the first time in 1957.
The felicitation offered by Lok Sabha Speaker Somanth Chatterjee amounted to Parliament itself greeting him, Mr. Karunanidhi said.Welcoming the audience, Speaker R. Avudaiyappan said the Chief Minister's career would inspire and guide present and future generations.Union Ministers T.R. Baalu, S. Raghupathy, S. S. Palanimanickam, A. Raja and G. K. Vasan, Andhra Pradesh Speaker K. R. Suresh Reddy and his Puducherry counterpart R. Radhakrishnan were present.Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president M. Krishnasswamy, Bharatiya Janata Party leader S. Thirunavukkarasar, State Communist Party of India (Marxist) secretary N. Varadarajan, Central Executive Committee member of the Communist Party of India R. Nallakannu, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi leader Thol. Thirumavalavan were also present.Mr. Karunanidhi's son M.K. Azhagiri was among those seated in the visitors' boxes.
