FOR SECRETARIAT USE ONLY TAMIL NADU LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY (THIRTEENTH ASSEMBLY) REVIEW 2006-2011 2015 Legislative Assembly Secretariat Chennai-600 009 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly (Thirteenth Assembly) REVIEW 2006-2011 PREFACE The review contains a complete and comprehensive, albeit in a condensed form, narration of work turned out by the Thirteenth Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. It also contains a lot of general information about the origin of the State Legislature, the Assembly Chamber, Members, etc. The previous Reviews in this series brought out in 1952, 1957, 1962, 1967, 1971, 1977, 1980, 1985, 1988, 1991, 1996 and 2001 proved to be valuable books of reference. The very object of this Review is mainly to give a complete and concise summary of business transacted by the Thirteenth Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly from 12th May, 2006 to 14th May, 2011. This Review also covers a brief account of work done by the various Legislature Committees, the activities of the Tamil Nadu Branch of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and a short Administrative Report of the Legislative Assembly Secretariat, references to the Rules of Procedure are also given at the beginning of each chapter, wherever necessary. A few photographs taken on important occasions such as Governor’s Address, Presentation of Budget have also been included. This publication, it is hoped, will be found useful as a book of reference to the Secretariat and of interest to all those desirous of knowing the work turned out by the Thirteenth Assembly. Any suggestion to make this publication more useful will be thankfully received and incorporated in the next Review. Secretariat, A.M.P. JAMALUDEEN, Chennai-600009. Secretary. CONTENTS SECTION - I Chapter Pages I. The State Legislature—Origin and Evolution 1 II. Tamil Nadu State and Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly 11 III. General Elections, 2006 and Bye-Elections 12 IV. The Governor and the Cabinet 22 V. Legislative Assembly— (A) Chamber of the House and Galleries 41 (B) Portraits in the Assembly Chamber 42 (C) Press Gallery and Press Advisory Committee 42 (D) Sessions and Sittings 43 (E) Oath or Affirmation by Members 44 (F) Arrangement of Business 47 (1) Government Business (2) Private Members’ Business VI. Presiding Officers 49 VII. Leader of the House, Leader of the Opposition and 55 Chief Government Whip VIII. Leave of Absence for Members 57 IX. Governor’s Address 58 X. Rules of Procedure of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly 60 ii iii XI. Questions— XXI. Matter under Rule 113 of the Tamil Nadu 76 Legislative Assembly Rules (1) General 62 XXII. Statement under Rule 212 of the Tamil Nadu 77 (2) Progress of Questions during the period 65 Legislative Assembly Rules 2006—2011 XXIII. Petitions to the Assembly 78 (3) Correction Statements made by a Minister 65 under Rule 111 of the Tamil Nadu Legislative XXIV. Legislation—Bills and Ordinances 79 Assembly Rules XXV. Financial Business 98 (4) Restriction on Discussion 65 XXVI. Motions and Resolutions— (5) Half-an-hour discussion 66 (I) MOTIONS XII. Call Attention notices on matters of Urgent 67 Public Importance (Rule 55) (A) Government Motions 103 XIII. Motion for Adjournment of Business of the 68 (II) RESOLUTIONS House to discuss a definite matter of Public (B) Government Resolutions 120 Importance (Rule 56) (C) Private Member Resolution 134 XIV. Motions for “Want of Confidence” in the Ministry, 69 Motions “Expressing Confidence” in the Ministry (D) Condolence Resolutions and Obituary References 135 and Motions of disapproval of the Policy of the Ministry XXVII. Privileges— Matters of Privileges Disposed off and 137 XV. Statement by a Minister who has resigned (Rule 73) 70 Matters referred to the Committee of Privileges XVI. Discussion for short duration on urgent matter 71 XXVIII. The Anti-Defection Act, 1985 and the Rules made 142 of Administration thereunder XVII. No-Day-Yet-Named Motions (Rules 78-85) 72 XXIX. Naming and withdrawal of Members 145 XVIII. Personal Explanation (Rule 109) 73 XXX. Suspension of Members 147 XIX. Statement by Ministers on matters of Public 74 XXXI. Committees of the House— Importance (Rule 110) (1) Committee on Estimates 152 XX. Statements made by a Minister under Rule 111 of the 75 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Rules (2) Committee on Public Accounts 160 (3) Committee on Public Undertakings 222 iv v (4) Business Advisory Committee 280 (2) Accounts— (5) Committee on Rules 280 (i) Details of expenditure incurred on Salary and 352 allowances of Officers and Staff of the Legislative (6) Committee of Privileges 282 Assembly Secretariat (7) Committee on Delegated Legislation 283 (ii) Speaker and Deputy Speaker 352 (8) Committee on Government Assurances 289 (iii) Functionary of the House 353 (9) House Committee 294 (iv) Salary and Allowances to Members 354 (10) Committee on Petitions 295 (3) Medical Facilities to Members of Legislative Assembly 355 (11) Library Committee 299 (4) Family allowance and Lump sum allowance to the 356 (12) Committee on Papers laid on the Table of the House 301 family of deceased Members of Legislative Assembly XXXII. Papers laid on the Table of the House 307 (5) Travelling Allowance and Daily Allowance 356 XXXIII. Announcements by the Speaker 312 (6) Bus Passes and Transit by Railway Allowance 357 to members of the Legislative Assembly XXXIV. Felicitations 320 (7) Reimbursement of Telephone Installation Charges 358 XXXV. Disclosure of assets of Members of the Legislature 325 (8) Assistance for the allotment of vehicles under 359 XXXVI. Divisions 328 Defence priority quota XXXVII. Official Report of the Proceedings of the Assembly 329 (9) Assistance for the allotment of LPG Connection 359 XXXVIII. Election by Members— (10) Provision of 0.32 Revolver to MLA’s under 359 V.I.P. Defence quota (1) Presidential Election 339 (11) Free Bus pass to Ex-MLA’s and Ex-MLC’s 359 (2) Indirect Election to the Council of States 339 (12) Medical Identity card and Medical Allowance 360 (3) Election to the Statutory Bodies 342 to Former Legislators XXXIX. Legislative Assembly Secretariat (13) Pension to former Members of Legislature 360 (1) General 350 (14) Family Pension to the legal heirs of the 363 deceased former Legislators (15) Medical Allowance and Medical Reimbursement charges 365 vi XL. Tamil Nadu Legislature Library (1) Legislature Library 368 (2) Services to Members 371 XLI. Commonwealth Parliamentary Association 375 XLII. Visits 378 Illustrations 393 Section II Tables (Table No.I to XLIX) 423 SECTION - I CHAPTER I to XLII REVIEW OF THE WORK TRANSACTED BY THE THIRTEENTH TAMIL NADU LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY (2006-2011) CHAPTER I THE STATE LEGISLATURE - ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION 1. BRIEF HISTORY BEFORE INDEPENDENCE The present Tamil Nadu is the residuary part of the then erstwhile Madras Presidency. The said Presidency comprised of the present Tamil Nadu, some parts of the present States of Orissa, Kerala, Karnataka and present Andhra Pradesh excluding the former native State of Nizam. Besides Madras Presidency, there were two other Presidencies, viz., Presidency of Bombay and Presidency of Calcutta. Each of the Presidency was in charge of a Governor. To start with, the Presidencies were independent of each other, but the Regulating Act, 1773 termed the Governor of Bengal as Governor General of Bengal and made him the supreme head of all the Presidencies. At the same time, the legislative power in the Presidencies was also recognised. This state of thing, was however, discontinued by the Charter Act of 1833 which concentrated all the legislative powers in the Governor-General-in-Council and deprived the local Governments viz. Presidencies of their power of the independent Legislation. The Indian Councils Act of 1861 restored the Legislative Powers taken away by the Charter Act of 1833. The Legislature of the Madras Presidency was given the power to make laws for the “peace and good Government”. The Provincial Legislative Council was constituted by the addition to the Governor’s Executive Council of 4 to 8 adhoc members of whom at least half were to be non-officials nominated by the Governor for a period of two years and the Advocate-General. The Provincial Legislative Council could not interfere with the laws passed by the Central Legislature. All Bills passed by the Provincial Councils required the assent of the Governor General and even after that, they could be disallowed by the Queen to whom they had to be referred to. 2 3 The Indian Councils Act of 1909 enlarged the Legislative Council of the The Legislative Assembly consisted of 215 Members, of which, 146 were province from 20 to 50. The Legislative Council for the first time, elected from general seats of which 30 seats were reserved for Scheduled was elected by an indirect election resulting in non-official majority in the Castes. The number of seats to be filled by persons choosen to represent House for the first time. various electorates were, 1 for Backward Areas and Tribes, 28 for Mohameddans, 2 for Anglo-Indians, 3 for Europeans, 8 for Indian Christians, The first conscious advance in the direction of Responsible Government 6 for Representatives of Commerce and Industry, etc., 6 for Landholders, was the reform of 1919 known as Montague / Chelmsford reforms. 1 for University, 6 for representatives of Labour and 8 for Women of which The Madras Legislative Council was set up in 1921 under 6 were general. the Government of India Act, 1919. The term of the Council was for a period Although the Government of India Act was passed in 1935, only that of three years. It consisted of 132 Members of which 34 were nominated by part relating to the Provinces came into operation in 1937. The Congress the Governor and the rest were elected. It met for the first time on the Party in the Legislature formed the Government in July 1937.