T. Ramesh wrote a cheque for ₹2.63 lakh, a precise amount targeted at ensuring that his component of Tamil Nadu’s debt burden was at least repaid.
The 41-year-old Namakkal resident, who claims he is a Gandhian, came forward to hand over a cheque for the amount to government authorities here, on the heels of Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan’s statement after releasing the White Paper on the State’s finances. Computing each family’s share of the public debt burden of Tamil Nadu, the Finance Minister put it at ₹2.63 lakh per family.
When he landed up at the office of the Revenue Divisional Officer here on Monday with a huge replica of a cheque for the amount, he, naturally, attracted the attention of media persons.
Mr. Ramesh, who is from Bommaikuttaimedu, said his cheque was from a nationalised bank and that it was for the precise amount that Mr. Thiaga Rajan indicated as the debt burden component of each family. He believed that all citizens should help the government by paying back the debt.
Ironically though, the government did not seem to want his money.
The RDO refused to accept the cheque saying he did not have the powers to do so.
He advised Mr. Ramesh to hand it over to other senior officials.
Mr. Ramesh told presspersons that everyone should come forward to pay the debt burden and that he would meet senior officials to hand over the cheque.