O Panneerselvam set to present State budget on March 15

This would be his maiden budget after becoming the Deputy Chief Minister last year following his merger with the Edappadi Palaniswami-led ruling dispensation. 

State Legislative Assembly Secretary K Srinivasan, in a communication, said Speaker P Dhanapal has summoned the House to meet at 10.30 am on March 15 when the budget for the 2018-19 fiscal would be presented. 

Post merger, the Speaker had disqualified 18 MLAs that rallied behind the RK Nagar MLA TTV Dinakaran for petitioning the Governor seeking intervention to change the leader of the Legislature Party. The disqualified legislators await the verdict of the Madras High Court which has reserved its orders. 

Earlier, the Assembly first met in January during which Governor Banwarilal Purohit made his maiden address in the House, and a motion to thank the Governor was subsequently adopted after a debate. The previous budget was presented by Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar, who held the Finance portfolio.