Chennai, June 23 (IANS) The first session of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly under Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay entered its final phase, with the Chief Minister set to deliver his reply to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the Governor’s Address amid intense exchanges between the ruling party and the Opposition.

The Assembly session began on June 18 with Governor Rajendra V. Arlekar’s address. Following a Business Advisory Committee meeting, it was decided that the session would be held for three days.

During the proceedings on Friday, Chief Minister Vijay moved a special resolution opposing Karnataka’s proposed Mekedatu dam project across the Cauvery river.

The resolution gained unanimous approval after Vijay accepted Opposition Leader Udhayanidhi Stalin’s suggestion to include a demand for the constitution of a new arbitration forum to address the dispute.

Speaker JCD Prabhakar subsequently announced that the amended resolution had been passed unanimously. The House then took up the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the Governor’s Address.

The opening day witnessed sharp exchanges between members of the ruling TVK-led alliance and the DMK Opposition.

After a two-day break, the Assembly reconvened, during which AIADMK and several other Opposition parties strongly objected to the inclusion of the demand for a new arbitration mechanism in the Mekedatu resolution.

They urged the government to withdraw that portion of the resolution, arguing that it could create fresh legal complications.

The DMK also sought a discussion on the deaths of migrant workers following an ammonia gas leak at a private factory in Tiruvallur district.

However, the government limited its response to a statement under Rule 110, without permitting a detailed debate. Throughout the discussion on the Governor’s Address, Opposition parties raised a series of questions on governance and public policy.

These included concerns over law and order, crimes against women, alleged power outages, the legal implications of a new arbitration forum on the Cauvery dispute, and action taken against officials facing sexual misconduct allegations.

Opposition members also questioned certain procedural decisions of the Assembly and sought explanations regarding the government’s handling of various administrative and political issues.

With the debate drawing to a close, Chief Minister Vijay is expected to respond comprehensively to the concerns and allegations raised by Opposition parties.

His address is likely to focus on law and order, governance, the Mekedatu issue and the government’s performance during its first weeks in office. The Chief Minister’s reply is expected to mark the conclusion of the Assembly session.

–IANS

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