Need bigger offices, more funds: TVK MLA lists demands in Tamil Nadu Assembly

A TVK MLA has demanded dedicated offices for legislators in Tamil Nadu’s proposed new Secretariat complex and sought an increase in the constituency development fund from Rs 3 crore to Rs 5 crore.

Raising the demands in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, Cumbum MLA Jeganath Mishra said each of the state’s 234 legislators should be allotted a 500-square-foot office in the new Secretariat.

Mishra pointed out that the annual MLA constituency development fund had remained unchanged at Rs 3 crore since 2020.

“The MLA fund has been Rs 3 crore since 2020. It has not been increased in the past six years. Considering inflation, it should be raised to Rs 5 crore,” he said.

His demands come after Chief Minister Vijay announced plans to build an integrated Secretariat and Legislative Assembly complex in Chennai at an estimated cost of Rs 1,200 crore.

The project is intended to bring all state government departments together on a single administrative campus. At present, the Secretariat operates from the historic Fort St George complex and Namakkal Kavignar Maaligai.

Vijay said the new complex was necessary to meet Tamil Nadu’s administrative requirements for the next 100 years.

The demands also come weeks after the CM announced that all MLAs in the state would be provided new cars to help them travel across their constituencies and attend to public needs.

Each MLA will also receive Rs 75,000 a month for driver and vehicle expenses and Rs 25,000 to hire an office assistant.

A senior DMK MLA had pointed out that local-body representatives already received official vehicles, while legislators did not.

“The government provides vehicles to municipal and union chairpersons, mayors and deputy mayors, but MLAs do not enjoy the same facility,” the MLA said.

According to the legislator, the lack of official vehicles restricts the mobility of MLAs, including during important engagements.