CHENNAI: Terming the state government's white paper on Tamil Nadu's finances as a "white paper in name alone," former finance minister Thangam Thennarasu on Tuesday said the document was merely an attempt to divert attention from the ruling dispensation's failure to fulfil its poll promises.
Response to White Paper
Responding to the white paper released by finance minister Marie Wilson, Thennarasu said the state's financial position had already been explained in detail in previous budget documents and official financial statements. He alleged that the TVK government was now attempting to create a narrative around the report to mask what he described as its administrative shortcomings and inability to implement several of its election commitments.
"After coming to power on the strength of extravagant promises, the government has realised the difficulty of delivering on many of them. The so-called white paper is an effort to conceal that failure rather than provide any new financial clarity," he said in a social media post.
Allegations of Diversion
The former minister alleged that the report was aimed at shielding the government from growing public criticism over unfulfilled assurances. According to him, the exercise was intended to serve as an "escape route" from accountability rather than a genuine assessment of the state's fiscal health. Thennarasu said the government's attempt to build public anticipation around the release had ended in disappointment.
The former minister said he would soon issue a detailed response addressing the contents of the report and the claims made by the TVK government regarding Tamil Nadu's financial position.
