Chennai, February 8: The Tamil Nadu Assembly will reconvene on February 17, where the interim budget for the fiscal year 2026-27 will be presented. This announcement was made by Assembly Speaker M. Appavu on Saturday.
The session is set to begin at 9:30 AM and is being held ahead of the state assembly elections scheduled for April or May this year.
Speaking to reporters in Tirunelveli, the Speaker stated that Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu will present the interim budget on the first day of the session.
The government aims to secure assembly approval for expenditures during the election period while also outlining its financial plans and priorities.
In addition to the interim budget, the Finance Minister will present proposals related to the demand for grants for 2026-2027 and seek approval for additional expenditures for the current fiscal year 2025-26.
Discussions on these financial matters will take place in the assembly on February 20. The duration of the assembly session has yet to be determined, with a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee scheduled soon to finalize the number of meetings and agenda.
The Speaker also addressed steps being taken to enhance transparency and public access to assembly proceedings.
In response to questions about live broadcasting, he mentioned that the state government, led by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, aims to expand real-time broadcasting of assembly proceedings. Currently, question time and ministerial responses are broadcast live, with discussions on grant demands expected to be included soon.
He noted that while some states only show edited or cut footage, Tamil Nadu is working towards more comprehensive coverage.
Additionally, he reported that the digitization of old assembly records is progressing rapidly, allowing access from anywhere in the world once completed.
Dismissing opposition claims that speeches are deliberately interrupted during live broadcasts, Appavu stated that every member is allotted a set time, and the broadcast occurs without interruptions.