Chennai, June 18 (IANS) The first session of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly after the formation of the TVK-led coalition government will commence on Thursday morning with Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar’s address to the House, marking the formal beginning of the new government’s legislative term.

As the maiden sitting of the newly constituted Assembly, the session will open with the customary Governor’s Address outlining the government’s policy direction, welfare commitments and development priorities.

Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar had formally invited Governor Arlekar to inaugurate the session.

Governor Arlekar is scheduled to arrive at the Assembly complex at Fort St. George at 9.50 a.m. He will be accorded a ceremonial reception near the second gate of the Secretariat’s main building.

Speaker Prabhakar and Assembly Secretary Srinivasan will receive the Governor with bouquets before escorting him to the Assembly Hall.

The Governor will walk along a red-carpeted pathway and deliver his address in English. The Tamil translation of the speech will subsequently be read out by the Speaker.

The proceedings relating to the Governor’s Address will conclude thereafter. The event will be telecast live.

The address is expected to outline the TVK government’s major programmes and policy objectives for the coming years, including key welfare and infrastructure initiatives.

The speech will also serve as an indication of the administration’s priorities following its victory in the Assembly elections.

Following the Governor’s address, the Business Advisory Committee is expected to meet and finalise the schedule for the remainder of the Assembly session.

The White Paper prepared by Finance Minister Maria Wilson is also expected to be tabled in the House during the session.

Political observers are closely watching whether Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay will make any significant announcements during the proceedings, particularly on issues relating to governance, welfare schemes and economic development.

The session is expected to witness spirited debates, with the principal opposition parties, the DMK and AIADMK, preparing to raise a host of issues. These include recent incidents of sexual assault, law and order concerns, power outages in several parts of the state, the government’s crop loan waiver programme and the resignation of MLAs amid political developments.

With the opposition gearing up to challenge the government on multiple fronts and the ruling alliance expected to defend its record and policy decisions, the opening session of the new Assembly is set to provide the first major political test for the TVK-led government.

–IANS

aal/dpb