TN Guv says govt geared up to tackle Omicron

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government is fully prepared to tackle COVID’s Omicron variant and the challenges it poses, Governor R N Ravi said on Wednesday in his maiden address to the state Assembly while the principal opposition AIADMK staged a walkout and boycotted his speech to target the ruling DMK. As soon as Ravi began his address, Leader of the Opposition (LoP), K Palaniswami stood up and started reading out from a prepared text to corner the DMK regime on various issues including on the law and order front. The AIADMK members were on their feet during this time and later they trooped out of the House, led by the LoP. All along, the ruling benches thumped the desks while Ravi spoke on government’s initiatives.

Outlining priorities in his address, Ravi reiterated the government’s opposition to National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET), Mekedatu dam initiative of Karnataka on river Cauvery and urged the Centre to take immediate steps to get 68 fishermen and 75 boats released from Sri Lanka.

Striving to ensure repeal of the Citizenship Amendment Act, continuation of subsidy to people undertaking Haj and Jerusalem pilgrimage were among the other key points made by the Governor. Just after the arrival of the Governor, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) members walked out of the House on the issue of the Raj Bhavan not forwarding to the Centre Tamil Nadu Assembly’s bill on exempting the state from the ambit of NEET. The VCK is an ally of the ruling DMK.—(PTI)