Govt does not compromise on quality of free sarees, dhotis: Min Gandhi

CHENNAI: Minister for Handloom and Textiles R Gandhi on Tuesday said that the DMK government has been distributing fine quality sarees and dhotis to the ration card holders.

The department has been distributing 15 varieties of sarees to the beneficiaries and there was no complaint from the people, said the minister while responding to AIADMK legislator V V Rajan Chellappa's question during the debate on demand for grants.

The Thiruparankundram MLA, while participating in the debate, said that people are questioning about the delay in distribution of free dhotis and sarees. He recalled that the minister assured during the last assembly session that the distribution of sarees and dhotis for the Pongal festival would be completed by the month of February.

Heated exchanges

Responding to this, the minister said it took 10 months from Pongal festival to complete distribution of sarees and dhotis to the beneficiaries during the AIADMK regime in 2012.

Similarly, it took eight months from Pongal to distribute sarees and dhotis to the beneficiaries in 2014. This triggered a heated argument between the ruling and Opposition parties for a while.

Irked over the response from the minister, Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami intervened and said that their party MLA was airing the views of the people from his constituency. It was the duty of the minister to give a proper reply instead of digging into the past. "We can also do the same," said EPS.

Leader of the House and Senior DMK minister Duraimurugan retorted EPs and welcomed to dig into the past and they (DMK) would also return the favour. Public Works Minister EV Velu intervened and brought down the heated argument, while the treasury and opposition benches returned to fruitful debate over the subject.