The first session of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, after the Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay-led government assumed office and won the trust vote, began with Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar’s address to the House on Thursday (June 18, 2026).
In his maiden address to the Tamil Nadu Assembly, Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar said the State government will take steps for fair devolution of funds from the Centre. A report detailing the Centre’s “discriminatory approach” over financial devolution to Tamil Nadu will be published, he said.
DMK MLAs, led by LoP Udhayanidhi Stalin, staged a protest and a walkout, demanding the TVK government and Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s attention to law-and-order issues.
The Tamil Nadu government will urge the Union government to swiftly complete caste enumeration as part of the ongoing Population Census, Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar said in his address to the Assembly on Thursday (June 18, 2026).
“It is a fundamental policy of this government that true social justice lies in every community receiving due representation. After the Union government completes the caste enumeration, the government of Tamil Nadu will conduct a Social Justice Survey,” he said.
Click here to read the full story.
Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Thursday (June 18, 2026) said there had been significant leakage of revenue from mineral resources due to corrupt practices that pervaded the mining sector in the State.
“This government will ensure the efficient and environmentally sustainable exploitation of mineral resources in Tamil Nadu. Organised illicit mining and tax evasion will be curbed with an iron hand through proper regulation and enforcement to ensure that revenues flow into the government treasury without diversion. Through these efforts, the government is striving to double revenue from minerals,” he said in his first address to the State Assembly.
Click here to read the full story.
Alleging that drug culture had taken deep roots in Tamil Nadu over the past few years, Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Thursday (June 18, 2026) said the previous government had failed to take constructive action to curb the menace.
“The primary cause of the breakdown of law and order in Tamil Nadu has been the widespread availability of drugs. This government will work diligently to create a drug-free Tamil Nadu. To this end, the government has ordered the formation of a Special Drug Prevention Force in every district. It is taking all necessary measures to completely eradicate the movement and sale of drugs,” he said in his customary address to the Assembly.
Click here to read the full story.
The government promises continuous archaeological research into sites such as Keezhadi and Sivakalai. “A comprehensive ‘Sustainable Tourism Policy’ will be framed so as to preserve the State’s natural resources and ecological balance,” Governor Arlekar said.
“This government will make intensive efforts to implement the river-interlinking project, first to interlink the rivers within Tamil Nadu, and further to urge the Union government to interlink the rivers ofthe southern States,” the Governor said.
The government will undertake all necessary efforts to move education from the Concurrent List to the State List, Governor Arlekar said.
“This government will strongly oppose the National Education Policy, 2020. The TVK government will also demand the release of ₹3,458 crore funds due to Tamil Nadu under the ‘Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan’ and urge the Union government to reconsider its linkage to the implementation of the three-language policy.”
The government also promised measures to improve the quality of education.
“To help the farming community, the Chief Minister has issued orders forfully waiving crop loans from cooperative societies for farmers with outstanding crop loan amount up to ₹75,000 and waiving ₹35,000 for all other farmers. This will benefit 14.43 lakh farmers at an additional expenditure of approximately ₹6,000 crore to the government,” Governor Arlekar said.
This government will act firmly to mitigate effects of climate change, to increase Tamil Nadu’s forest cover and green cover, and to protect all vital ecosystems including mangrove forests, wetlands, and the coastal ecosystem, the Governor said. The Governor also said that this government will take firm measures to prevent the Government of Kerala’s attempt to build a new dam and will take concerted action to carry out repair works in the Mullai Periyar dam area and raise the water level there.
“Over the past few years, Tamil Nadu’s financial position has faced a very severe detereoration,” said the Governor.
Referring to CM Vijay’s promise during his first public address after assuming office, the Governor said that the TVK government has released a white paper on Tamil Nadu’s finances to “bring out the truth about the previous government’s fiscal mismanagement.”
A resolution will be passed in the Tamil Nadu Assembly demanding Tamil Nadu’s due share of financial devolution from the taxes contributed to the Union government, the Governor said.
A special legal committee will be constituted to legally pursue fair financial devolution.
A report detailing the Union government’s discriminatory approach towards the financial devolution of Tamil Nadu will be published.
The Governor said that 717 retail TASMAC shops have been closed since the TVK government came to power.
- B. Kolappan
All the tenders will be transparent and funds due to the government will flow to the State coffer, said the Governor. He said that the maintenance of lakes and ponds will be done to recharge groundwater during rains.
Governor Arlekar said that the TVK government will follow the two-language policy. He also said that the availability of drugs during the DMK regime was the reason for the law-and-order problem in the State.
Governor Arlekar said that the TVK government will prioritise the welfare of women, children, and the rights of the State.
Governor Arlekar lauded the coalition government in Tamil Nadu. “As the embodiment of a coalition government, this government has demonstrated a share in governance and a share in power — something unseen in the 74-year political history of Tamil Nadu,” he said.
The DMK stages a walkout from the Tamil Nadu Assembly, urging Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay to break his silence on law-and-order issues.
“A transformation never-seen-before in the political history of Tamil Nadu has come about in the recent Tamil Nadu Assembly elections,” the Governor said. He said that the TVK government secured the support of the people and overcame many barriers and “money power” to uphold democracy. He said that CM Vijay has created a revolution in 2026, just like MGR did in 1977.
Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar welcomed the MLAs to the first session of the Tamil Nadu Assembly after Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay won the trust vote and formed the government in the State.
DMK MLAs, led by LoP Udhayanidhi Stalin, stage a protest outside the Tamil Nadu Assembly, raising slogans against the TVK government and Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay over law-and-order issues.
WhatsApp Image 2026-06-18 at 9.26.59 AM.jpeg
- N. Sai Charan
Published - June 18, 2026 09:47 am IST
Tamil Nadu / Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam / government / Governor / Live news
Source: The Hindu - India News
