Apparently targeting the Maran brothers, the Jayalalithaa government in Tamil Nadu on Friday announced its decision to nationalise private cable TV operations and revive the state-run Arasu Cable TV Corporation.

In his customary address spelling out AIADMK government’s policies, Governor S S Barnala said there has been an “overwhelming demand” from the public for revival of Arasu Cable TV Corporation and government would do so “in public interest.”

Private Cable TV operations will be nationalised without affecting local cable operators, Barnala said.

The move is apparently directed at the Sumangali cable Vision (SCV) owned by Marans (Union Minister Dayanidhi and his brother Kalanidhi) which dominates the multi-crore cable TV business.

The Arasu Cable TV Corporation was started in July 2008 by the previous DMK government when Karunanidhi family’s relationship with Marans had soured.

The spat followed publication of a survey in a Tamil daily owned by the brothers which gave the edge to Karunanidhi’s son M K Stalin over his sibling M K Alagiri to be the DMK patriarch’s political heir.

After the patch-up between the families of Karunanidhi and Marans, the Corporation had remained dormant.

The nationalisation of cable TV business was one of the promises made by the AIADMK in the 13^th April Assembly polls.

Probe announced into irregularities in new assembly complex

The Jayalalithaa government on Friday announced a Commission of Inquiry into the alleged irregularities in the under construction New Assembly secretariat complex, a pet project of the previous DMK government.

“There have been allegations of excess and wasteful expenditure and deficiency in the standards of new Secretariat building,” Governor S S Barnala said in his address to the legislative assembly session, outlining the policies of the new AIADMK regime.

The commission, headed by a retired High court judge, would “inquire into the alleged irregularities like excess expenditure, inordinate delay and deficiency in standards of construction,” he said.

Further works would be stopped to facilitate inquiry, he said.

The DMK government had held the last session in the new Assembly-Secretariat complex, a pet project of Karunanidhi, whose estimates have touched around Rs 1,000 crore.

Jayalalithaa had earlier flayed the lack of aesthetic appeal and the design of the new complex describing it as a “circus tent”.

She had justified the decision to stick to the historic 17th century Fort St George building citing administrative considerations and denied any political bias.