By IANS,
Chennai : Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu assembly and former chief minister J. Jayalalithaa made a rare but short visit to the house Friday but succeeded in marking her presence during her ten minute stay.
The AIADMK chief has been boycotting the sessions while in the opposition but signs the attendance register to keep her assembly membership.
The session saw AIADMK and DMK members in heated debate on various issues with Jayalalithaa intervening twice to make her point of view heard and get the remarks made by DMK members expunged from the records.
Participating in the debate on the motion of thanks to Governor Surjit Singh Barnala’s address AIADMK member R. Viswanathan wondered why DMK which has been sharing power at the centre for the past 13 years was not able to secure the state its due rights.
He also said hiring retired government employees on contract blocks the employment opportunities for the youth.
Countering this, DMK Minister Ponmudi said the previous (AIADMK) government had enacted a legislation against hiring by the government, thereby leaving the employment exchanges without work.
In the question hour Agriculture Minister Veerapandi Arumugham said the government will not allow genetically modified crops if they harm the environment.
He said the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in Coimbatore has come out with Bt Brinjal variety and it is awaiting the central government’s approval.
The government also proposed hiking the monthly salaries of legislators by Rs.5,000 to Rs.8,000 and the travelling allowance from Rs.5,000 to Rs.20,000.
A proposal to hike the pension of former members by Rs.2,000 to Rs.10,000 was also tabled.