Ready to hold spl session over NEET, CM tells House

This is the second time in the ongoing session that the Opposition is pressing the state to adopt a resolution on NEET.

Earlier, the DMK demanded a resolution condemning the Centre, however now the party has mellowed down requesting for another resolution insisting the Centre to exempt the state from NEET.

Responding to it, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami said that both the ruling and the Opposition in the House were against the NEET. The DMK is giving a picture as if the AIADMK-led government is supporting the NEET. “The state government is constantly fighting against the NEET and is exerting pressure on the Centre to ensure that Tamil Nadu is exempted from the entrance exam. If required the state Assembly can have a special session on NEET to adopt resolution but without knowing the merits on why the Centre has rejected, there are every possibility for the Centre to reject the NEET resolution again,” the Chief Minister said.

Refuting Stalin’s charge that the government is idle on the issue and is not doing enough for the state students, Palaniswami cited several communication and letters written by the state government to the Centre on the issue. “Whenever I get a chance to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, I had insisted that TN should be exempted from NEET as it affects the prospects of poor students, particularly those coming from rural areas, the Chief Minister said.

“NEET is an emotional topic and we are on the same page as the DMK and the welfare of the students is most important,” he said explaining that Law Minister CVe Shanmugham has earlier explained that the Centre has not given any reason for returning the two bills forwarded by the state.

The Presidential assent is pending for the adopted resolutions and till now the reasons has not been sighted.

“Only if we know the reason for it, we can correct the shortcomings in it and adopt a corrective resolution and then forward the same to the Centre for Presidential assent,” Palaniswami clarified and wondered, “What can the state do if the Centre rejects the resolution again so it is better to get the details and then appeal with the corrected resolution,” he reiterated.

Stalin also raised the issue related to delay in conducting local body polls and quoted Union Minister for Panchayat Raj Narendra Singh Tomar that the funds will not be given to Tamil Nadu as the local bodies are defunct without the elected councils. To this, Local Administration Minister SP Velumani said that the state was taking all efforts to conduct the polls and also in touch with the Centre to ensure that the funds are sanctioned without any delay.