Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu presenting the Budget 2025-26 in the State Assembly on Friday (March 14).
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AIADMK and BJP walk out of the Budget session, seeking the resignation of the DMK govt for their alleged involvement in Rs 1,000 crore Tasmac scam
Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu presented the fifth Budget of the present DMK regime for 2025-26 today (March 14). This was his second Budget presentation after he was made the Finance Minister in a Cabinet shuffle in May 2023. He had presented his maiden Budget in February last year.
Also read: TN Budget: Can TN continue welfare schemes amid rising debt and Centre's cold-shoulder?
Ahead of next year's Assembly election, the DMK regime made big allocations for its flagship welfare schemes which include the fare-free bus travel scheme for women.
Opposition stages walkout
Noisy scenes were witnessed in the Assembly as the main Opposition AIADMK walked out after attempting to raise alleged graft in state-run liquor corporation TASMAC vis-a-vis the Enforcement Directorate searches over the Rs 1,000 crore 'scam'.
Also read: ED ‘unravels’ Rs 1,000-crore liquor scam in TN, confirms The Federal story
Leader of Opposition, Edappadi K Palaniswami told reporters that his party asked the DMK government to own up moral responsibility for the TASMAC 'scam' and "tender resignation," and staged a walkout on the issue.
Presenting the Budget, Finance Minister Thenarasu said women using fare-free bus services has risen to 65 per cent from 40 per cent. "On an average, 50 lakh women travel daily in the buses run by State Transport Undertakings, leading to a total of 642 crore trips so far. Notably, a study by the State Planning Commission revealed that women save an average of Rs 888 per month due to this initiative. For the year 2025-26, the government has allocated a subsidy of Rs 3,600 crore for the scheme in the Budget Estimates," he said.
New airport in Rameswaram
Thennarasu announced a new airport in Rameswarm and said work has been expedited to establish a new airport at Parandur near Chennai. Also, he said a satellite city would come up near the state capital with world class amenities.
The minister's budget speech went on for 2 hours and 38 minutes.
Ahead of the State Budget, the government released the Tamil 'Ru' symbol replacing the official Rupee symbol, with a tagline "Ellarukkum Ellam" (Everything for all).
Live Updates
- 14 March 2025 5:51 AM
AIADMK leader and Leder of Opposition Palaniswami demands CM Stalin's resignation over alleged TASMAC scam
Former TN CM Edappadi Palaniswami on X (formerly Twitter): "Yesterday, a news report appeared in the newspapers and media, stating that the Enforcement Directorate had issued a statement, in which it was reported that there had been fraud of over Rs 1000 crore. The investigation is ongoing. When this investigation is fully completed, There are suspicions that corruption worth nearly Rs 40,000 crore may have taken place through TASMAC.
"This government has not released any news about it yet. Even though the Enforcement Directorate conducted a raid and it was announced that more than 1000 crores of irregularities had been committed through that raid, but this government has not released any news, we have mentioned it in the Assembly and have taken moral responsibility for this and have staged a walkout demanding that this DMK government resign."
