Tamil Nadu budget today in the new assembly hall

The new Tamil Nadu State Assembly hall, in the new state-of-the-art complex that was inaugurated on March 13 by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, is ready for a stormy budget session, opening today.

While the budget for the year 2010-11 will be the last full-fledged budget of the DMK government for the current term, it will be the first budget to be presented in the new Assembly hall and the Opposition parties are preparing to rake up many issues, including Mullaiperiyar, inter-State water disputes and the rise in prices of essential commodities.

The budget speech is to be delivered by Finance Minister Prof. K Anbazhagan today. The budget, the fourth to be presented by him is likely to be an election year budget , as Tamil Nadu is likely to go for Assembly polls in May 2011

As there is also the possibility of advancing the Assembly elections, it is highly expected that the budget would be laced with many popular schemes.

The women’s reservation Bill is expected to be passed in the current session of the Assembly after it is adopted by the Lok Sabha.The government is likely to introduce a revised Tamil Nadu Police Bill during the session as the Select Committee on this Bill has called for views from all quarters. A scheme for the benefit of differently abled persons will be one of the highlights of the budget.

The session will see three dissident AIADMK MLAs supporting the government on various issues. While S V Shekher has been expelled and been declared an unattached member in the last session itself. AIADMK had sought the disqualification of two MLAs, Radhakrishnan and Rajendran, who met the Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and attended the DMK’s general council last month as special invitees.

After the presentation of the budget, the session is likely to be adjourned for a week to enable the political parties to undertake campaign for the by-election to the Pennagaram constituency scheduled for March 27. As the campaign ends on March 25, the House session may commence on March 26 and last till the end of April.

Gallery – Click on picture to zoom.

- Asian Tribune -