The Assembly session would resume at 10 a.m. on April 6 for the debate on the demand for grants for various government departments, Speaker M. Appavu said in Chennai on Friday.
The Business Advisory Committee would meet at 11 a.m. on March 30 to decide the duration of the session, Mr. Appavu told reporters in his chamber. As usual, the Question Hour would be scheduled during the session.
Asked about the concerns raised by a few MLAs over the space crunch in the Assembly Hall at Fort St. George, Mr. Appavu said the members would have felt that way since the earlier sessions were held in the spacious Kalaivanar Arangam on Wallajah Road.
To persistent queries about the space crunch in the House, and whether he had sent any communication to the State government recommending that the Assembly Hall be shifted, Mr. Appavu said, “The Chief Minister would think over the issue, hold consultations to the extent necessary and take a good decision.”
Replying to a query on the AIADMK’s charge that the Finance Minister was not present in the House when AIADMK Deputy Floor Leader O. Panneerselvam was speaking on the Budget, Mr. Appavu said the Minister had informed him about it (his absence).
“The Cabinet is a collective responsibility. All the Ministers, led by the Chief Minister, share that responsibility. When a Minister had to step out, and when the Chief Minister himself was present, I don’t think there is anything to find fault with. I think they need not have staged a walkout over that issue,” he said.
Asked whether the Speaker’s office had sent any communication regarding the Bills that were pending with the Governor, Mr. Appavu said, “The Speaker’s responsibility is limited to adopting the Bill in the House and sending it for further assent. The Chief Minister and the Cabinet will handle what happens next.”
