TAMIL NADU LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY (TENTH ASSEMBNLY) REVIEW 1991-96 ------ PREFACE This review contains a complete and comprehensive, albeit in a condensed form, narration of work turned out by the Tenth 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 1957, 1962, 1967, 1971, 1977, 1980, 1985, 1988 and 1991 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 Tenth Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly from the 1st July 1991 to 1st March 1996. 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 and Conference of Presiding Officers of Legislative Bodies in India held in Madras during 1993 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 Tenth Legislative Assembly. Any suggestion to make this publication more useful will be thankfully received and incorporated in the next Review. Secretariat, C. S. JANAKIRAMAN, Madras-600 009. Secretary. CONTENTS Chapter: I The State Legislature - Origin and Evolution II Tamil Nadu State and Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. III General Elections, 1991 and Bye-Elections IV The Governor and the Cabinet V Legislative Assembly (A) Chamber of the House and Galleries (B) Flooring in Legislature Library with Diamond Dora tiles. (C) Relaying of Chief Minister's pathway with pista marble slabs with brass joints (D) Laying of pista marble in the eastern, western and northern lobbies of the Legislative Assembly Chamber (E) Construction of New Legislators Complex at Government Estate (F) Creation of an Assembly plaza near Legislative Assembly Chamber (G) Construction of new Building Complex for Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly opposite to Fort St. George (H) Flooring of Legislature Committee Room with Pista Marble slabs (I) Portraits in the Assembly Chamber (J) Press Gallery and Press Advisory Committee... (K) Sessions and Sittings (L) Oath or Affirmation by Members... (M) Arrangement of Business— (1) Government Business (2) Private Members' Business VI Presiding Officers VII Leader of the House, Leader of Opposition and Chief Government Whip VIII Leave of Absence for Members... IX Governor's Address X Rules of Procedure of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly—History XI Questions— (1) General (2) Progress of Questions during the period from 1991-96 (3) Correction Statements made by Ministers under Rule 111 of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Rules (4) Restriction on Discussion (5) Half-an-hour discussion XII "Call Attention" notices on matters of urgent public importance (Rule 55) XIII Motion for adjournment of Business of the House to discuss a definite matter of public importance (Rule 56) XIV Motions for "want of Confidence" in the Ministry and Motion "Expressing Confidence" in the Ministry and Motions of disapproval of the policy of the Ministry. XV Motion under Rule 287 for Suspension of Rules XVI Statement by a Minister who has resigned (Rule 73) XVII No-Day-Yet-Named motions (Rules 78-85) XVIII Personal Explanations (Rule 109) XIX Statement by Ministers on matters of Public importance (Rule 110) XX Matter under Rule 113 of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Rules XXI Statement made under Rule 212 of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Rules XXII Petitions to the Assembly XXIII Legislations-Bills and Ordinances XXIV Financial Business XXV Motions and Resolutions- (A) Government Resolutions (B) Government Motions (C) Private Member’s Resolutions (D) Condolence Resolutions and Obituary References XXVI Privileges- (A) Matters of Privilege referred to the Committee of Privileges for which Reports were Presented to the House. (B) Matters of Privilege referred to the Committee of Privileges for which Reports were not presented to the House (C) Matters of Privileges for which Notices were received and disposed off (D) Matter of Privilege against the Tamil Weekly “Ananda Vikatan” raised during Eighth Assembly. (E) Commitment to Jail for breach of privilege and contempt of the House XXVII The Anti-Defection Act, 1985 and the Rules made there under XXVIII Disqualification of Members XXIX Naming and suspension of Members XXX Committees of the House (1) Committee on Estimates (2) Committee on Public Accounts (3) Committee on Public Undertakings (4) Business Advisory Committee (5) Committee on Rules (6) Committee of Privileges (7) Committee on Delegated Legislation (8) Committee on Government Assurances (9) House Committee (10) Committee on Petitions (11) Library Committee (12) Committee on Papers Laid on the Table XXXI Papers laid on the Table of the House XXXII Announcements made by Speaker on Matter of Privileges XXXIII Announcements made by Speaker on Matter of Privileges XXXIV Special References XXXV Criminal Proceedings against Members XXXVI Overnight stay of Members inside the House after adjournment XXXVII Felicitations XXXVIII Unveiling of the portrait of Dr. M. G. Ramachandran, former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. XXXIX Conference of Presiding Officers of Legislative Bodies in India XL Disclosure of assets of Members of the Legislature XLI Divisions XLII Official Report of the Proceedings of the Assembly XLIII Election by Members- (1) General (2) Accounts (i) Details of expenditure incurred on salary and allowances of Officers and Staff of the Legislative Assembly Secretariat (ii) Speaker and Deputy Speaker (iii) Functionary of the House (iv) Salary and Allowances to Members (3) Medical Facilities to Members of Legislative Assembly. (4) Family allowance and Lumpsum allowance to the family of deceased Members of Legislative Assembly. (5) Travelling Allowance and Daily Allowance (6) Bus passes and transit by Railway-Allowance to Members of the Legislative Assembly. (7) Reimbursement of Telephone installation charges (8) Pension to former Members of Legislature. XLV Tamil Nadu Legislature library. (1) Legislature Library. (2) Services of Members. XLVI Commonwealth Parliamentary Association XLVII Visits Section II Tables REVIEW OF THE WORK TRANSACTED BY THE TENTH TAMIL NADU LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY, 1991-96 CHAPTER I THE STATE LEGISLATURE-ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION I. 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 Presidencies 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 power in the Governor-General in-Council and deprived the local Governments (Presidencies) of their power of the independent legislation. The Indian Councils Act of 1861 restored the legislative power 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 ad hoc 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 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. The Indian Councils Act of 1909 enlarged the Legislative Council of the Province from 20 to 50. The Legislative Council for the first time, was elected by an indirect election resulting in non-official majority in the House for the first time. The first conscious advance in the direction of Responsible Government was the reform of 1919 known as Montague/Chemsford Reforms. The Madras Legislative Council was set up in 1921 under the Government of India Act, 1919. The term of the Council was for a period of three years. It consisted of 132 Members of which 34 were nominated by the Governor and the rest were elected. It met for 2 the first time on the 9th January 1921 at Fort St. George, Madras. The Council was inaugurated by the Duke of Cannaught, a paternal uncle of the King of England, on the 12th January 1921 on the request made by the Governor Lord Wellington. The Governor addressed the Council on the 14th February 1921. The Second and Third Councils, under this Act were constituted after the general elections held in 1923 and 1926 respectively. The fourth Legislative Council met for the first time on the 6th November 1930 after the general elections held during the year and its life was extended from time to time and it lasted till the provincial autonomy under the Government of India Act, 1935 came into operation. The Government of India Act, 1935 marked the next stride in the evolution of Legislatures. The Act provided for an All India Federation and the constituent units of the Federation were to be the Governor's Province and Indian States.