Issues relating to the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, and the State government’s actions in containing the spread of COVID-19 are among the issues likely to be raised for debate by the Opposition parties in the three-day session of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly commencing on September 14 .
The House is meeting in the backdrop of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president M.K. Stalin and 17 of his party MLAs moving the Madras High Court, challenging fresh breach of privilege notices to them last week for having displayed gutkha (chewing tobacco) sachets in the Assembly on July 19, 2017 in their attempt to prove that the banned substance was available across the State.
This would also be the first session since sitting legislator Ku. Ka. Selvam of Thousand Lights Assembly constituency was expelled from the DMK by Mr. Stalin. The DMK had suspended and eventually dismissed him “for bringing disrepute to the party and violating party discipline”, days after Mr. Selvam called on BJP president J.P. Nadda and hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
DMK general secretary and Deputy Floor Leader Duraimurugan had told reporters soon after the Business Advisory Committee meeting last week that the three-day session was not sufficient, as there were many pressing issues facing the people of Tamil Nadu.
For the first time in the recent decades, the House would not sit in the usual Assembly Hall in the historic Fort St. George campus but in the relatively new Kalaivanar Arangam on Wallajah Salai here to ensure physical distancing norms for those attending the House proceedings, as part of precautions against the pandemic.
Arrangements have already been taken to test all legislators, Assembly officials, officers and journalists for COVID-19 before they come to the multi-purpose hall in the third-floor of Kalaivanar Arangam on Monday. Only those who test negative for COVID-19 would be allowed to the third floor where the House is scheduled to meet.
The first day of the session is likely to be adjourned soon after paying tributes to former President Pranab Mukherjee, DMK MLA J. Anbazhagan and Congress MP H. Vasanthakumar and those who died due to COVID-19. The House would also condole the death of former legislators of the Assembly before adjourning for the day. The first supplementary budget for 2020-21 would be presented to the House on the last day of the session on September 16.
