VCK urges CM Vijay to rethink gold ring scheme, uphold assembly dignity
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) founder and Chidambaram MP Thol. Thirumavalavan on Wednesday urged Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay to reconsider his government's scheme to provide one-gram gold rings to babies born in government hospitals. He also expressed concern over remarks made by the Chief Minister during the Assembly debate, which he said were not befitting the dignity of the office.
In a statement, Thirumavalavan said that CM Vijay's comments during the Motion of Thanks to the Governor's address, which appeared to reference the electoral defeat of former Chief Minister M.K. Stalin in the Kolathur constituency, were inappropriate. He appealed to the Chief Minister to preserve the traditions of the Legislative Assembly and the dignity of his office.
On the gold ring scheme, Thirumavalavan noted that the programme would cost ₹755 crore. He argued that the funds should instead be used to improve maternity wards in government hospitals. “At present, 56 percent of births in Tamil Nadu take place in government hospitals, while the remaining 44 percent occur in private hospitals. Even for a normal delivery, private hospitals charge between ₹50,000 and ₹1 lakh. For deliveries conducted through Caesarean surgery, fees can go up to ₹2.5 lakh. Despite these high costs, even poor and economically disadvantaged families choose private hospitals because of concerns regarding the safety and well-being of both mother and child,” he said.
Thirumavalavan suggested that the government use the ₹755 crore to establish well-equipped maternity wards in every government hospital, comparable to private facilities, and appoint necessary medical personnel, which would benefit all sections of society.
He also urged the government to abandon its plan to contract out sanitation work in municipal corporations to private firms, warning that it would harm the welfare of sanitation workers who risk their lives in their duties.
