CHENNAI: In his maiden address to the Tamil Nadu Assembly, Governor RV Arlekar on Thursday said the TVK regime will take steps to ensure fair devolution from the Centre and take the fight to the Supreme Court to get a fair deal.
The Governor's address made it clear that the Chief Miniser C Joseph Vijay-led regime opted to continue the policy followed by previous DMK and AIADMK regimes on key issues such as the 2-language policy and state rights.
He also announced that the state government will conduct a "Social Justice Survey."
It was a customary address after the TVK formed its first government following the April 23 Assembly polls.
Governor Arlekar began his address by invoking the legacy of icons including C N Annadurai and 'Periyar' EV Ramasamy and he stuck to the text, including strong references against Centre like alleged discrimination over fund allocation, prepared by the TVK regime.
Tamil and national anthems were sung at the commencement. Also, the national anthem was sung at the closing of the day's proceedings. MLAs of the main opposition DMK wore black badges asking the CM to respond and act over a spate of alleged crimes.
Arlekar's predecessor RN Ravi, during the previous DMK regime between 2021 and 2026 had locked horns with the Dravidian party over matters like "not rendering the national anthem at the start of the session in the Assembly."
Ravi had also walked out of the Assembly without reading out the government prepared address. He had also omitted --like reference to Dravidian leaders-- and added some points in his address much to the chagrin of the MK Stalin-led regime.
However, the scene witnessed on Thursday in the Assembly was in complete contrast.
Arlekar, who stuck to the government prepared text, mentioned the names of ideological guides of the ruling dispensation-- Periyar, late Congress stalwart and former CM K Kamaraj, Dr BR Ambedkar, crusaders in the freedom struggle Rani Velu Nachiyar and Anjalai Ammal.
The governor said Tamil Nadu witnessed a transformation it had never seen before as Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, "the historical leader of our times," formed the government within just two years of founding his party, the TVK. Vijay single-handedly overcame many barriers, vanquishing money power and upholding democracy.
A coalition government, the TVK regime has demonstrated "a share in governance and a share in power" something unseen in the seventy-four-year political history of Tamil Nad, he added.
Arlekar recalled Vijay's first meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi after taking over as the chief minister. The CM had submitted a memorandum of several long-standing demands.
It includes the establishment of the Centre for Air Borne Systems (CABS) near Hosur and halting Karnataka's attempt to build the Mekedatu dam on river Cauvery. Prevention of the arrest of Tamil Nadu fishermen by Sri Lanka and immediate release of fishermen and their boats from the neighbouring country were among the other demands.
The CM has also made various requests to the Centre including funds for highways, and administrative sanction for
Metro Rail projects for Hosur, Coimbatore and Madurai formed part of other requests.
In the 11th Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog, Vijay reiterated such demands.
"It is sincerely hoped that the union government will consider these demands favourably and extend the necessary assistance to Tamil Nadu."
A resolution will be passed in the Assembly demanding Tamil Nadu's due share of financial devolution from the taxes contributed to the Union Government.
"Besides passing the resolution, a Special Legal Committee will be constituted to legally pursue the issue up to the Supreme Court, in order to secure fair financial devolution,"Arlekar added.
Every rupee due to Tamil Nadu will be properly documented and a report detailing the Union Government's "discriminatory approach" towards the financial devolution for the state will be published.
Further, it will be ensured that Tamil Nadu receives its rightful share of financial devolution from the Union Government.
"This government will work diligently to continuously press the Union Government to safeguard the welfare of Tamil Nadu, to fight for state rights, to implement required schemes for the state and to create new infrastructure," he said.
Arlekar said that over the past few years, the state's financial position faced very severe deterioration. As promised by Vijay in his first public address after assuming office, the government released a White Paper on Tamil Nadu's finances to bring out the "truth of the previous (DMK) government's fiscal mismanagement."
Further, he said: "In the last five years alone, the debt has nearly doubled, reaching the level of Rs 10 lakh crore; this currently amounts to 28.3 per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP). As a result, every individual living in Tamil Nadu bears a debt burden of more than one lakh rupees."
Owing to revenue leakages and systematic corruption in the revenue and tax-collecting departments, tax revenue has
declined from 5.93 per cent of the GSDP in the financial year 2021-22 to 5.45 per cent in 2025-26.
In order to bring the revenue that was diverted earlier back into its account, this government has recently levied an additional privilege fee on liquor manufacturers.
Through this, revenues that were escaping credit to State exchequer have been regulated and channelised directly into the State's exchequer, and the government is expecting receipt of upto Rs 1,000 crore annually.
This government is taking every measure to prevent all leakages and restore the State's finances on to a sound path to enable the government to fully honour the promises it has made to the people.
Further, on the Social Justice Survey, he said "it is a fundamental policy of this government that true social justice lies in every community getting due representation."
"To fulfill this policy and promise, we will urge the union government to swiftly complete the caste enumeration in conjunction with the ongoing Population Census. After the union government completes the caste enumeration, the Government of Tamil Nadu will conduct the Social Justice Survey," Arlekar said.