The Tamil Nadu Assembly session, a few months ahead of State elections, commenced on Tuesday with the main Opposition DMK arguing with Governor Banwarilal Purohit before his customary address to the House, and boycotting the proceedings.
As Opposition benches went vacant after Leader of Opposition MK Stalin walked out of the House with members of alliance parties following suit, Purohit began his speech.
He outlined the action on tackling the COVID-19 pandemic including vaccination, cash assistance to people during lockdown, financial aid to farmers hit by recent cyclones, and the economic front.
Also, Purohit urged the Centre to reject the Mekedatu project proposal of Karnataka and not allow Kerala to build any new dam across River Periyar.
He condemned a recent 'incident' in which four fishermen lost their lives when a Sri Lankan naval vessel deliberately collided with their boat.
The Government continued to take proactive measures to bring back 12 fishermen in Lankan custody, he said.
The vaccination drive against coronavirus has been rolled out smoothly in the State and in due course the entire population would be covered so that normal social and economic activity can be fully resumed, he said.
The vaccination programme was being rolled out in phases with health workers now being covered and in subsequent stages, other frontline workers and the most vulnerable would be administered the vaccines, he said.
Appreciating the significant role of police in tackling the pandemic and enforcing the lockdown, he said, "the police machinery in the state is fully geared to face all challenges, including the orderly conduct of elections to the legislative assembly." Assembly elections are likely in April or early May in Tamil Nadu.
Earlier, before the Governor could start his address, Stalin tried to raise some issues.
Purohit said the Central budget has allocated Rs 1.03 lakh crore for Tamil Nadu and wanted the main opposition to to take advantage of the session, the last of the current 15th assembly to debate over all issues.
A din ensued, with DMK Deputy leader Duraimurugan and other opposition members joining Stalin, who objected to Purohit making a mention of the union budget allocation and wanted him to stick to his address.
Purohit said DMK may register its protest if it chose to do so, but suggested that its members could 'come back again' to the House.