Karunanidhi against mid-term polls

The Chief Minister, who was delivering the valedictory address at the two-day conference of district collectors and police officers at the Secretariat, instructed the officials to start implementing the Budget announcements and inaugurate new schemes, as they would not be able to do anything for two or three months if elections were announced.

Referring to the pendency of a Bill in the Lok Sabha relating to the distribution of 29 per cent of the total central revenue to State Governments, Karunandihi said had the Bill had been enacted, Tamil Nadu, which had already presented a deficit budget for 1999-2000, would have received about Rs 540 crore from the Centre. Besides, another Rs 460 crore would have come as arrears.

The Chief Minister advised officials to keep the law and order in the State under check, wipe out illicit arrack dens and the practice of keeping separate glasses for Dalits in some of the State’s tea stalls, bring down the number of lock-up deaths in police stations, organise gram sabha meetings all over the State on May 1 and open more all-women ration shops.

He said collectors should inaugurate the `small loan scheme for women’ in municipal limits from May 2, the day he would inaugurate the programme in Tirupur.

The need for expediting the case relating to the operation of mini-buses in rural areas would be examined by the Home Department and a Bill introduced in this regard, he said, adding a decision to this effect was taken at the conference. Besides, a task force would be set up at the district level to monitor the implementation of computer science as a subject in Government Higher Secondary Schools.