REVIEW - Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly - Tamil Nadu Government

usiness to be completed. The recommendations of the Business Advisory
Committee will be reported to the House by the Chair. No variation in the order
can be made except on the request of the Leader of the House with the permission
of the House.
Rule 30 of the Assembly Rules lays down that a list of Business for each day
shall be prepared by the Secretary and circulated to all Members. According to
sub-rule (2) of the said rule, no business not included in the list of business for
the day shall be transacted at any sitting except business of a formal or ceremonial
nature.
(1) Government Business
The arrangement of Government Business shall be in the order determined
by the Leader of the House and approved by the Speaker and the order of the
Business so arranged in the list shall not be revised except on a motion moved
and adopted by the House.
(2) Private Members’s Business
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Rule 33 of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Rules provides that on all
Thursday when the Assembly sits except Thursdays allotted for discussion on
the Motion of Thanks to the Governor’s Address and Thursdays allotted for the
discussion on Financial matters under Article 202 to 206 of the Constitution of
India, the business of Private Members shall have precedence. But, on a motion
moved for the suspension of this provision, the Assembly may resolve to give
precedence to Government Business even on Thursdays on which the Business
of Private Members’ has precedence. If such a motion is moved and carried, the
Speaker may in consultation with the Leader of the House allot in lieu thereof
another day in the same or in the subsequent week for Private Members’ Business.
During the period under review, no Private Members’ Business was given
precedence over Government Business according to rule 33 of Tamil Nadu
Legislative Assembly Rules.
CHAPTER-VI
PRESIDING OFFICERS
(i) Speaker of the Legislative Assembly continuied as Speaker under second
proviso to Article 179 of the Constitution of India.
The Tenth Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly was dissolved on the 13th
May 1996. F.N. and the Eleventh Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly was
constituted immediately on that day itself.
The First Meeting of the Eleventh Tamil Nadu legislative Assembly was
held on the 22nd May 1996.
Thiru Sedapatti R. Muthiah, who was the Speaker of the Tenth Assembly
continued to hold the Office of the Speaker till 21st May 1996 afternoon in
accordance with second proviso to Article 179 of the Constitution of India.
(ii) Speaker Pro-tem
Under Clause (1) of Article 180 of the Constitution of India, the Governor
of Tamil Nadu on the 14th May 1996 appointed Thirumathi A.S. Ponnammal,
the senior-most among the Members of the Eleventh Tamil Nadu Legislative
Assembly representing Nilakkottai (SC) Constituency, as the Speaker pro-tem
to perform the duties of the Office of the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly
till a New Speaker was chosen under Article 178 of the Constitution of India.
The Governor of Tamil Nadu also appointed her as the person before whom
oath or affirmation might be made and subscribed by the members of the
Eleventh Assembly under Article 188 of the Constitution of India. Thirumathi
A.S. Ponnammal made and subscribed her oath in Tamil in the name of God as
a member of the Assembly on 17th May 1996 before the Governor at Raj Bhavan,
Guindy, Chennai and signed the Roll of members in the Legislative Assembly
Chamber in the presence of the Secretary on 22nd May 1996.
(iii) Election of Speaker
According to Rule 7 of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Rules, the
Governor fixed 23rd May 1996 as the date for the election of Speaker for the
Eleventh Assembly. Two nominations were received in favour of Thiru P.T.R.
Palanivel Rajan, first one was proposed by Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi and
seconded by Prof K. Anbazhagan, and Second one was proposed by