Debates on demand for grants to resume from April 6: Speaker

Speaker M Appavu on Friday announced that debate on demand for grants on various departments will continue when the Assembly session resumes from April 6. “The session will start from 10 am on April 6 in the Assembly hall at the Secretariat. The Business Advisory Committee meeting will be held on March 30 to decide the number of days of the session and the schedule of debate on demand on grants,” said Appavu, while addressing reporters at the Secretariat.

The state budget for 2022-23 was presented by Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan on March 18 followed by agriculture budget presented by Agriculture Minister MRK Panneerselvam on March 19. Debates on both the budgets were held from March 21 to 23 followed by replies on both the budgets by Finance and Agriculture Ministers. The session ended on Thursday with an adjournment motion introduced by Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan and adopted in the Assembly. Following this, the House was adjourned sine die.

When Appavu’s attention was drawn to the issue of AIADMK walking out of the Assembly despite being given sufficient time in the budget debate, he replied that the reason given by the main Opposition party for walkout was not acceptable. “The Finance Minister stepped out only after informing me when the former chief minister O Panneerselvam was delivering his address on the budget. It was not just the Finance Minister who makes decisions on government matters, but it is the council of Ministers, and even Chief Minister MK Stalin was present in the House,” said Appavu.

When asked whether the state has decided to shift the Assembly to the new Secretariat campus, which is now housing the multi super specialty hospital and whether the Speaker had submitted any recommendations to the government in this regard, Appavu replied that the Chief Minister is a person who will not make hasty decisions and added that Stalin will take a good decision.