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Day 1: 500 TASMAC shops to go
AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa, who bucked a 32-year trend to storm back to power for a second consecutive term, on Monday took oath as Chief Minister for the sixth time at a function attended by DMK leaders.
Chennai
Sixty-eight-year-old Jayalalithaa, along with 28 others, including her trusted lieutenant O Panneerselvam, took the oath of office and secrecy in the name of God in Tamil that was administered by Governor K Rosaiah. Later in the evening, the Chief Minister inducted four more ministers, who will be sworn in on Wednesday, taking the size of the Cabinet to 32, the maximum permissible limit under norms. Minutes after she was sworn in, Jayalalithaa went about issuing a slew of orders aimed at fulfilling her electoral promises. The AIADMK supremo retained 13 of her ministers, who were in the previous cabinet, besides inducting 17 new faces including four women.
Amid slogans of “Puratchi Thalaivi Amma Vazhga (Long live revolutionary leader Amma) by AIADMK supporters, Jayalalithaa stepped into the decorated Madras University Auditorium in her trademark green saree. Slogans hailing the party chief echoed even as she signed the documents after taking oath.
Arrangements had been made for live telecast of the ceremony in many parts of the state with giant LED screens being placed at vantage points. While Jayalalithaa took oath alone, 28 of her ministers were sworn-in in two groups at the ceremony that lasted less than 30 minutes.
The entire route from Jayalalithaa’s Poes Garden residence to the swearing-in venue was filled with cheering AIADMK supporters who showered rose petals on her vehicle as it whizzed past. Musicians played instruments welcoming the AIADMK supremo and party workers broke into a jig as her convoy wound its way through a sea of party supporters and general public who lined both sides of the road. The entire stretch leading to the venue was decorated with festoons and AIADMK workers kept waving party flags.
This will be Jayalalithaa’s fourth term in office as Chief Minister. Her earlier tenures were 1991-96, 2001-06 and 2011-16. All her 28 cabinet colleagues took the oath in two groups. Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu participated in the swearing-in ceremony as the centre’s representative.
TOP FIVE ORDERS
The list of five files signed by Jayalalithaa to fulfil five of the electoral promises mentioned in the manifesto
- First order for waiver of crop loans up to March 31, 2016, payable to co-operative banks in the state
- Second order was 100 units of free power for domestic electricity consumers with effect from Monday in tune with the present tariff computation
- Another one was for increasing gold offered for ‘thali’ from 4 gms to 8 gms for women beneficiaries under Thalikku Thangam Scheme
- Increasing free power for handloom weavers to 200 units and for power looms to 750 units
- Closure of 500 TASMAC retail liquor outlets and reducing working hours of shops and bars from 12 hours to 10 hours. With effect from Tuesday (May24), the retail outlets and bars will open only at noon and remain open till 10 pm. Earlier, the timing was from 10 am to 10 pm
Cabinet expansion tomorrow
Four more MLAs, G Baskaran (Khadi & Village Industries Board), Sevvoor S Ramachandran (Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments), Dr Nilofer Kabil (Labour) and P Balakrishna Reddy (Animal Husbandry) have been inducted in the Council of Ministers by the Governor K Rosaiah on the recommendation of the Chief Minister. The swearing-in ceremony will be held on May 25 at 7 pm at Raj Bhavan, said a release.
Jayalalithaa offers prayers
Before assuming charge as the Chief Minister at Fort St George, Tamil Nadu’s seat of power, Jayalalithaa offered worship at the Nagadevathai Amman temple, located at the entrance of the Secretariat. Jayalalithaa’s vehicle stopped before the entrance and the temple priest came with the customary aarti after performing puja. She offered her prayers from the vehicle itself before proceeding to Fort St George.
Semmalai is pro-tem speaker
S Semmalai, appointed as pro-tem speaker took oath as Member of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on Monday. The 70-year old AIADMK veteran and former MP was elected from Mettur constituency this time. He was elected as MLA three times earlier and served as health minister between 2001-2004.
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