For the first time in about 10 years, Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly’s winter session is likely to be held out of the historic Fort St George, owing to th COVID-19 pandemic. According to reports, the newly-built Kalaivanar Arangam on Wallajah Road is likely to be where the upcoming session would most probably convene. It is required for the Assembly to meet at least once in six months and on March 24 the budget session in the House was adjourned ahead of the scheduled (April 9) due to the pandemic. The next session of the Assembly is due by September 24.
Indicating change of venue for the next session, Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal said things are only in the preliminary stage and that the final decision would be announced soon. "We have inspected the Kalaivanar Arangam following a request to identify a safe venue to hold the Assembly session due to the threat posed by COVID-19. Nothing has been finalised. The decision (on temporarily shifting the venue) will be made known," he told reporters after inspecting the venue.
In the past, Assembly has convened at Senate Hall in the Madras University and Rajaji Hall in Government Estate on Mount Road. The first Assembly session was held at the Council Chambers inside the colonial building, Fort St George, on July 11,1921 when 1st Marquess of Willingdon was the Governor-General of Madras Presidency, and continued until 1937. Later it shifted to the Senate House in July 1937.
In 1959, the year of the Andhra Pradesh and Madras Alteration of Boundaries Act, the session was held at Aranmore Palace in Ooty and for the winter session that year, it came back to the Assembly hall inside Fort St George. In 2010, the session shifted out to the New Assembly Complex in Omandurar, soon after it was completed. The building that is today a multi-speciality hospital was originally intended to become the new Secretariat by Karunanidhi when he was Chief Minister.
However, in 2011 sessions once again returned to the Assembly Hall at the fort, when J Jayalaithaa won the elections and became Chief Minister and has continued to be the venue since. Interestingly, in 2004, the AIADMK Government under Jayalalithaa made unsuccessful attempts to shift the assembly, first to the location of Queen Mary's College and later to the Anna University campus.
The Kalaivanar Arangam, a huge multi-purpose auditorium, offers ample space to ensure the social distancing norms for legislators and in addition provides spacious parking space.
(With inputs from IANS)