Chennai: Contrary to expectation that the AIADMK (Amma) and its Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami are battening the hatches for a stormy period, the 24-day Assembly session passed off smoothly for the ruling party.
The more than 194-hour Assembly session, at an average of over eight hours per day, started on a turbulent note with leader of Opposition Stalin targeting the government as one formed by horse-trading and demanding its resignation. However, the AIADMK weathered the initial onslaught and later settled down well establishing good bonhomie with the DMK legislators.
Besides, a 89-member strong opposition, the ruling party had to face some embarrassing situations when some of supporters of AIADMK deputy general secretary attacked the government strongly and even walked out the House.
After the first two weeks, members of ruling and opposition parties began exchanging jovial remarks and were seen laughing with each other, marking a rare occurrence after about three decades. After the DMK announced its support to Congress Presidential candidate Meira Kumar, the party was expected to come down heavily on the BJP government at the Centre on issues like Cauvery Management Board, Neet and beef ban. But, the DMK refrained from hitting out the saffron party throughout the session, barring a few moments when Mailam MLA R. Masilamani took up the Aryan-Dravidian divide during his speech.
The DMK which started on a vehement note, later turned civil and chose to walk out when matters got out of hand. The principal opposition, explained the reasons for the walkout to waiting mediapersons and returned to the House.
The DMK MLAs were in for a huge surprise when their demands for their constituency were accepted and ministers made immediate statements saying that the request would be carried out. The demands immediately accepted included those made by deputy opposition leader K. Duraimurugan. The opposition members were allowed to raise their needs for their seats and the leader of Opposition was allowed to record his views on major issues most of the time. At the end of the session, the Neet exemption bill led to heated exchanges between the two parties.
One of the major bills passed in the session included GST Bill, which was opposed by the DMK which wanted it to be referred to a select Assembly committee. It also passed an amendment bill for reservation in the local bodies.
law amended to export beer
The Assembly on Wednesday adopted a Bill enabling the state to export beer. The amendment to the Tamil Nadu Prohibition Act, 1937, to enable beer export and to facilitate it was piloted by electricity, prohibition and excise minister P. Thangamani.
The Bill called Tamil Nadu Prohibition (Second Amendment Act), 2017 was passed without any discussion.
When contacted Thangamani, he said that the move would help the state to earn additional revenue by exporting beer. The state run Tasmac will earn '20.50 per bottle, if beer was exported.
