Assembly session likely from June 2nd week

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly (TNLA) is likely to be reconvened by June 2nd week to discuss the demand for grants.

According to sources, the Legislative Assembly Secretariat is considering reconvening the session in the second week of June after the Model Code of Conduct is withdrawn by the first week of next month.

“The session is expected to commence by June second week and to last for about 25 days. Demands for grants for each department would be submitted for discussion. Speaker M Appavu will officially announce the date. The business advisory committee led by the Speaker will meet and decide on the demand and number of days for the session and the question hour will be taken up on all days,” sources said.

Simultaneously, heated debates between the ruling DMK and the opposition parties AIADMK and BJP is expected to take place in the Assembly.

It may be recalled that on February 12, when the first session of the Assembly was convened, Governor RN Ravi refused to read the customary address prepared by the government on factual and moral grounds.

“My repeated request and advice to show due respect to the national anthem and play it at the beginning and end of the address has been ignored. This address has numerous passages with which I convincingly disagree on factual and moral grounds. I lending my voice to them would constitute a Constitutional travesty,” Ravi said and later walked out from the Assembly before the national anthem.

Later, on February 19, Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu tabled the general budget for the fiscal 2024-25 and on February 20, Agriculture Minister MRK Panneerselvam presented the agri budget for the fiscal 2024-25.

Subsequently, the demands for supplementary estimates was presented in the Assembly and general discussions on the budget took place.