Udhayanidhi Stalin questions TN govt's move to provide vehicles, allowances to all 234 MLAs

Chennai, Aug 21
Tamil Nadu Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin has criticised the Vijay government’s decision to provide official vehicles and monthly allowances to all 234 MLAs, urging it to limit the benefit to legislators who are financially disadvantaged.

Speaking in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, Udhayanidhi said the move came at a time when the state government was already dealing with a significant debt burden and called for greater restraint in public expenditure.

“The government has announced that new vehicles will be purchased for all 234 MLAs. I would like to place our party’s position on record in this Assembly. At a time when the Tamil Nadu government is already facing a debt burden, as the Chief Minister himself has repeatedly stated, we have decided, under the guidance of our party president M.K. Stalin, that vehicles should be provided only to MLAs who are financially disadvantaged,” he said.

“I request the government to consider this and provide vehicles only to those MLAs who genuinely need them, especially while the government is trying to reduce unnecessary expenditure,” he added.

Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, in a suo motu statement under Rule 110 in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on August 19, announced that all 234 MLAs would be provided official vehicles along with monthly allowances of Rs 75,000 for fuel, maintenance and a driver, and Rs 25,000 to hire an office assistant.

Taken together, the proposed benefits amount to Rs 1 lakh per MLA every month, apart from the provision of an official government vehicle.

The announcement has generated discussion over the universal nature of the benefit, with the Opposition questioning why the same facilities should be extended to every legislator regardless of their financial circumstances.

Udhayanidhi argued that the government should instead identify MLAs who genuinely require assistance and provide vehicles to them, particularly as the state seeks to control expenditure.

His remarks put the focus on the balance between providing elected representatives with facilities required for their official duties and maintaining financial discipline in government spending.

The issue has also sparked debate over whether a common benefit for all 234 legislators is justified when the financial circumstances of individual MLAs can vary considerably.

The Opposition has therefore urged the government to reconsider the proposal and adopt a more targeted approach, restricting vehicles and associated allowances to legislators who are genuinely in need of such support.