Chennai: In a shockingly insensitive decision, the Tamil Nadu government hiked the MLAs salaries, nearly doubling them, at a time when farmers were committing suicide in the worst ever drought in 140 years gripping the state.

No sooner did chief minister Edapaddi Palanisami announced the hike, there was a barrage of criticism with the BJP taking the government and the opposition to task. Even the farmers organisations condemned the hike, saying that this only showed the government’s insensitivity towards its people.

“The government does not want to give us fair remunerative price but wants to increase MLAs salrties,” said P Ayyakannu to a television channel from Jantar Mantar protest site in Delhi. Chief minister Edapaddi Palanisami had promised to resolve our issues in two months, but no solution is in sight he said.

The salaries of MLAs in Tamil Nadu stands now increased to Rs 1.05 lakh per month from Rs 55,000 per month. The constituency development fund has been hiked by a whopping Rs 50 lakh. Even the telephone bills are now increased to Rs 7000 per month from Rs 5000 per month.

The CM’s announcement came in for sharp criticism from the BJP, Its leader questioned the sagacity as also the correctness of the decision at a time when farmers were in crisis. “Tamil Nadu MLAs should reject the salary hike as an example to the rest of the country,” said BJP spokesperson Narayan Tirupati.

Why is the opposition DMK accepting this, the BJP leader questioned?