Parties tighten purse strings on Covid doles in Tamil Nadu

Chennai: With the ruling AIADMK controlling much of the public outreach programmes in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, opposition parties had to dip into their kitty to hand out doles to the affected public. Having undertaken the distribution of relief material, including dry ration, two months ago since the lockdown, functionaries of several political parties are under pressure to find resources to sustain their efforts.

This has forced the functionaries of Dravidian parties and its allies to slow down or wind up their humanitarian efforts.

Several functionaries of the ruling and opposition parties said they have called off their initiatives. Members of the Rajini Makkal Mandram, Kamal Haasan’s MNM and other political parties have cited “financial difficulties” in continuing the welfare measures.

“We pooled in money and resources to distribute three to four rounds of relief kits including rice and other essentials before April-end for the homeless, auto drivers, and domestic workers in our area,” said Rajkumar, member of AIADMK’s legal wing in North Chennai. He added they stopped the relief measures two weeks ago as the overall situation had improved somewhat.

Sources in the AIADMK headquarters, however, said several party functionaries across the state stopped the distribution of relief materials, citing financial difficulties. “With limited resources, it is difficult to continue relief activities. Party functionaries in districts and at the union level have spent a few lakhs of rupees from their own pockets,” said a former district secretary close to commercial taxes minister K C Veeramani.

Keeping pace with their arch-rival, the DMK functionaries distributed welfare kits and rice bags, sanitizers and other essentials. They have now stopped distribution for want of financial backing. “Being an opposition party, we have done our best. Now, it is up to the government to increase financial support from Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000,” said Tirupattur DMK MLA A Nallathambi. He added that he spent around Rs 30 lakh from his own pocket to distribute relief measures in his constituency.

Several other DMK functionaries said they spent as much as they could afford, but could not continue further. A Rajini Makkal Mantram’s Sholinghur district functionary said he and a few other members spent Rs 7 lakh towards distribution of groceries and rice bags to the affected people.