Amma is mother of all she surveys

Anyone who doubted that J. Jayalalithaa’s current stint as chief minister was any different from her previous one can rest assured. AIA...

Anyone who doubted that J. Jayalalithaa’s current stint as chief minister was any different from her previous one can rest assured. AIADMK ministers and MLAs are bending backwards to ensure that Amma is still the goddess of all she surveys in Tamil Nadu.

Jayalalithaa’s Tamil Nadu doesn’t need a Parliament-style code of conduct in its State Legislative Assembly. Her mere presence in the House evokes provokes unparalleled discipline and good behaviour among her ministers and MLAs. During the recently concluded budget session, the MLAs didn’t dare leave their seats when Jayalalithaa was in the House, and ventured out into the lobby or towards the canteen only after she had left.

The decibel levels of conversation also rose to more normal levels after she departed. This prompted Speaker K.Kalimuthu to remark last week: ‘‘Are you going to take your seats or do I have to call Amma to come back to the House to restore order?’’

The Amma Effect isn’t restricted to the four walls of the State Assembly but has seeped into policy drafts and ministry files as well. Ministers are falling over themselves to be the first to announce schemes benefitting her constituency of Andipatti or the Theni district in which it falls.

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In 1991-96 too, short of renaming the state Jaya Nadu, ministers had competed among themselves to name projects and schemes after their ‘revolutionary leader’. The Mugappair area in Chennai was renamed ‘‘JJ Nagar’’. Chennai’s film city was christened ‘‘JJ Film City’’ (It’s now called MGR Film City, after her mentor). The inter-state bus operation in the then Thiruvalluvar Transport Corporation was brought under a new corporation named as ‘‘Dr JJ Transport Corporation’’.

A high-yield super quality paddy variety was called ‘‘JJ Paddy’’ and a girl child welfare scheme under the Social Welfare department was named after Jayalalithaa. Even the Mudumalai wildlife sanctuary wasn’t spared the honour of being renamed after her.

This time, the level of sycophancy is different — and pretty much the same. Ministers are still competing to pass the loyalty test by announcing schemes in Andipatti or Theni. Starting from O. Panneerselvam, the AIADMK’s stop-gap chief minister and Public Works Department Minister, every minister has conjured up at least one scheme.

Panneerselvam, who was elected from Periyakulam in Theni district, said the ‘Sothuparai (Varahanadhi) Reservoir Scheme’ in Theni would be speeded up. The scheme will benefit over 750 acres of wet lands and 450 acres of dry lands in the district. And Rs 66 lakh will be sanctioned this year for the formation of an 18th canal in Uthamapalayam taluka in Theni. Panneerselvam has also allotted Rs 85 lakh to construct a reservoir across Shanmuganadhi in the district.

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Handlooms Minister V.Somasundaram announced that he would go all out to procure ISO 9000 certification to the Anna Cooperative Spinning Mill in Theni. While Industry Minister S.M. Velusamy said TIDCO would set up a value added centre for grape processing and a winery in Cumbum valley in Theni.

On his part, Rural Industries Minister R. Vilwanathan announced that a silk cotton cooperative society and a cashew cooperative society would be set up in Andipatti. Forest Minister P. Mohan’s contribution to Theni’s progress is the development of Megamalai wildlife sanctuary in the district and including the district under the State’s Wasteland Development Programme.