Stalin seeks governor action to set up House panel

DMK, Congress and IUML submitted a memorandum with Rao, saying House committees like Public Affairs Committee and Estimates Committee are formed within 15 days of a new Assembly but it has not been done despite five months having lapsed. They said Speaker P Dhanapal had said a notification would be issued in this regard when they took up the matter on the floor of the House in September but no action has been taken so far. 

“The functioning of various committees of Legislature and their study reports have helped the Government to ensure better administration, including timely implementation of various promises made in the House,” they said. Citing Assembly rules they said the Speaker should appoint a member from the opposition party as Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee. Further the number of members elected should be proportionate to the strength of members in each party, they said. 

He had also submitted a memorandum to Leader of the House O Panneerselvam “but so far no announcement has been made,” they added. The Speaker, who is elected by the House, “has himself ignored certain sections of the Rules of Business and had so far not constituted the various committees which functions as part of proceedings of the Assembly,” they said. “Hence, we seek your intervention,” they added.