Assembly session to go on till July 19, announces Speaker

Addressing a press conference, Dhanapal said that a decision to this effect was taken at the business advisory committee. The agenda for the session was also taken up for discussion by the committee, which was chaired by the Speaker. 

“The session will commence every day at 10 am and each day will have a question hour. The session will be extended for the afternoon as and when required. The session will take up debate on demand for subsidy advances for various departments. 

Some important Bills will come up during this session for consideration of passage and taken up based on the needs. The rest will be taken up on the last day of business that is July 19”, Dhanapal said. 

As for the views of session’s duration being short, the Speaker dismissed it by stating that the agenda was prepared with the Opposition agreeing to it. “The agenda was drafted in ‘unity’ with Opposition”, he said, as the scribes attending the conference bursting into laughter.  He was quick to clarify that he meant ‘consensus’. 

“There are instances where the session on debate on demand for grants had wound up in 20 days. Therefore, a period of 24 days is adequate to complete the business of the session as drafted in the agenda”, Dhanapal noted. 

Asked whether the GST Bill would be passed in the upcoming session, the Speaker maintained that he had not received copies of any bills to be passed in this session. He added that the bills would be taken up for consideration as they come. 

As for the action on DMK MLAs for their behaviour in the recently concluded session, the Speaker said that the issue was at the disposal of the Privileges Committee. 

DMK, Congress and IUML wants Special Resolution on Karuna’s Diamond Jubilee as legislator Three parties, DMK, Congress, and IUML, had petitioned the Speaker seeking to adopt a special resolution in the House regarding DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi’s diamond jubilee as a legislator.  The Speaker is learnt to have assured all three parties that their representation will be considered during this session.