NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu minister R Nirmal Kumar on Sunday slammed the Opposition for rejecting the government’s decision to provide cars and related allowances to MLAs.Kumar said a car is a “small target” for those who spent Rs 30-40 crore to become an MLA.”Those who spent Rs 30 crore or Rs 40 crore to become an MLA — for them, a car is nothing. It is a small target for them,” Kumar claimed.The minister also pointed out that several past and present MLAs owned multiple private vehicles but rarely visited interior villages.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelines”What is the point of having 10 or 15 private cars if an elected representative does not even set foot inside a village in their constituency for five or ten years?” the minister asked.Kumar defended the government’s decision to provide official vehicles and allowances to all 234 MLAs, entailing an estimated additional expenditure of nearly Rs 200 crore.He insisted that official vehicles were necessary for newly elected representatives to tour their constituencies and understand public grievances firsthand.This comes days after chief minister C Joseph Vijay announced that every MLA would be provided a government car, along with a monthly allowance of Rs 75,000 towards fuel and maintenance, and Rs 25,000 to meet the cost of an assistant.However, MLAs from parties like the DMK, PMK and CPI declined the government-provided vehicles and allowances, citing the state’s debt burden.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorRohitashwa RanjanRohitashwa Ranjan is a digital journalist with The Times of India, where he decodes Indian politics as a carefully staged production with scripts, subtext and everything behind. His stories track elections, party dynamics and the things that often are buried beneath the headlines. When not parsing vote shares or alliances, he is usually reading between the lines, where the real story tends to reside.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosJaish Rebuilds Bahawalpur Complex Struck By India During Op Sindoor’India Can Attract Global Talent With Your Help’: PM Modi Meets Space Startups On National Space DayDelhi Cops Attacked With Chilli Powder & Bricks In Mukundpur; 17-Year-Old Arrested‘Plan To Meet Vance, Mamdani’: Why MEA Denied Permission For Telangana CM Revanth Reddy’s US Trip?’No Problem When Boys Do It’: Rahul Gandhi’s Attack At PM Modi Over Jantar Mantar AbuseYoutuber Ajeet Bharti Lists 4 Big Demands At Jantar Mantar, Calls For Reservation Reform And MeritPM Modi Meets BJP’s New Team At Delhi HQ As Party Pushes Vande Mataram Legacy Nationwide‘48 Hours Or Sit-In’: Abhijeet Dipke Warns After CJP Team Allegedly Attacked Near Jaipur SchoolIndiGo Delhi-Gorakhpur Flight Makes Two Go-Arounds, Suffers Tail Impact During Third LandingPunjab Gangster’s Thar Rams Coconut Seller During Police Chase, CCTV Captures Entire Incident123Photostories5 signs you’re losing yourself while trying to save your relationshipThe slow fade: 5 signs someone you love is pulling away5 best hair colours for Indian skin tones that instantly brighten your lookWhy the Manipuri bride’s traditional Potloi is in a league of its ownBlood in urine during monsoon is not always a UTI: Doctor reveals when you should worryOptical illusion personality test: What you see first reveals your secret weakness in loveHeart attack risk is not just about cholesterol: 7 warning factors doctors check that routine tests can missHina Khan recalls being brutally trolled over viral National Anthem video amid health struggles; Rubina Dilaik reveals her daughters received threats5 signs someone in your life likes to see you suffer in secret5 powerful Bhagavad Gita lessons that top performers secretly swear by at work123Hot PicksTCS laptop monitoring softwareTNEA counselling3 year practice ruleCM Revanth ReddyWeather tomorrowNEET UG 2026US-Canada tradeSIM card rulesBank holiday todayTop TrendingMumbai Rape AirhostessReservation Hatao AndolanLucknow Double Murder SuicideMadhapur Road AccidentMaharashtra Hill TragedyAbhijeet DipkeJharkhand Factory FireRahul GandhiBengaluru RapidoAston Martin Crash
NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu minister R Nirmal Kumar on Sunday slammed the Opposition for rejecting the government’s decision to provide cars and related allowances to MLAs.Kumar said a car is a “small target” for those who spent Rs 30-40 crore to become an MLA.“Those who spent Rs 30 crore or Rs 40 crore to become an MLA — for them, a car is nothing. It is a small target for them,” Kumar claimed.The minister also pointed out that several past and present MLAs owned multiple private vehicles but rarely visited interior villages.
Share your thoughts in the comments
Be respectful · TOI community guidelines
“What is the point of having 10 or 15 private cars if an elected representative does not even set foot inside a village in their constituency for five or ten years?” the minister asked.Kumar defended the government’s decision to provide official vehicles and allowances to all 234 MLAs, entailing an estimated additional expenditure of nearly Rs 200 crore.He insisted that official vehicles were necessary for newly elected representatives to tour their constituencies and understand public grievances firsthand.This comes days after chief minister C Joseph Vijay announced that every MLA would be provided a government car, along with a monthly allowance of Rs 75,000 towards fuel and maintenance, and Rs 25,000 to meet the cost of an assistant.However, MLAs from parties like the DMK, PMK and CPI declined the government-provided vehicles and allowances, citing the state’s debt burden.
