Chennai, Aug 19:
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Wednesday announced that all MLAs in the State will be provided cars and a monthly allowance of Rs 75,000 to facilitate constituency visits and public service activities.
Making the announcement under Rule 110 in the Assembly, Vijay said the new facilities were intended to ensure that legislators could carry out their constituency-related responsibilities without interruption.
Under the new arrangement, each MLA will receive a monthly car allowance of Rs 75,000. In addition, the government will provide Rs 25,000 per month for appointing an assistant and meeting the assistant’s salary.
The Chief Minister said the facilities would be extended to all MLAs, irrespective of party affiliation, to enable them to travel within their constituencies and attend to public grievances more effectively.
The announcement comes days after Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi MLA Jyothimani reportedly sought a car to facilitate her constituency-related work. The government has now decided to extend the benefit across the Assembly.
The announcement is among the measures unveiled by the Vijay government during the ongoing Assembly session, with the Chief Minister using Rule 110, which allows the government to make statements on important policy decisions without a formal debate.
The additional financial burden on the government and the exact mechanism for providing the vehicles/allowance are expected to be detailed separately.