Stalin slams delay in forming twelve House committees

 Leader of the Opposition and DMK treasurer M.K. Stalin on Thursday threatened to move a no-confidence motion against the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly P. Dhanapal for not constituting various Committees of the House despite making a statement in the House that they would be constituted. He added that the DMK would raise the issue with the Governor. “The Assembly

Committees have to be constituted in a fair manner and at the earliest. If not, we will move a no-confidence motion against the Speaker for not coming forward to constitute them. I urge him not to create such a situation,” Mr. Stalin told journalists at the Secretariat campus here.

Mr. Stalin said a reminder to constitute these committees was handed over to the Assembly Secretary on Thursday, since the Speaker was not in his office.

“It has been five months since the new government came to power. Unlike in the past, there has been no sign of constituting these Committees. When I and Deputy Floor Leader Duraimurugan raised the issue in the last Assembly session, the Speaker said they would be constituted. However, they have not been constituted so far,” the DMK leader complained.

The 12 committees to be constituted as per the rules are: the Committee on Estimates, the Committee on Public Accounts, the Committee on Public Undertakings, the Business Advisory Committee, the Committee of Rules, the Committee on Privileges, the Committee of Delegated Legislation, the Committee on Government Assurances, the House Committee, the Committee on Petitions, the Library Committee and the Committee on Papers Laid on the Table of the House.

When asked when the DMK would take up the issue up with the Governor, Mr. Stalin said, “If the committees are not constituted at the earliest as we expect, as the next step, we would meet the Governor”.

Replying to another query on handing over a copy of the resolutions adopted at the meeting of political parties called for by the DMK to discuss the Cauvery water issue on October 25, Mr. Stalin said since Finance Minister O. Panneerselvam, who has been allocated portfolios held by the Chief Minister, was unavailable, a copy has been handed over to his office. The party delegation also handed over a copy of the resolutions to the Chief Secretary.

DMK’s Deputy Floor Leader M. Duraimurugan, legislators B. Ranganathan (Villivakkam), M. Subramanian (Saidapet), P.K. Sekar Babu (Harbour) and J. Anbazhagan (Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni) accompanied Mr. Stalin.