Karunanidhi requested Azad to ask the finance ministry to waive the Rs.48 crore service tax paid by the state government on the Rs.517 crore payout towards the insurance premium under the Kalaignar Insurance Scheme.

'The state government can foot the premium bill. All it wants is the waiver of the service tax on the premium amount,' he said.

The insurance is offered by the city-based health insurer Star Health and Allied Insurance Company Ltd for the members of various welfare boards set up by the Tamil Nadu government.

The scheme is expected to benefit over 10 million families with an annual income of less than Rs.72,000.

Each family can avail treatment for critical ailments -- around 51 identified procedures -- up to Rs.100,000 at private and pay wards of government hospitals.

On the occasion, Karunanidhi surprised everyone by announcing that his official residence at Gopalapuram -- valued at Rs.8 crore (Rs.80 million) -- will be converted into a charitable hospital after he and his wife are dead.