Chennai , 18 June (H.S.):

The first session of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly after the formation of the TVK-led coalition government will begin on Thursday with Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar delivering the customary address to the House, formally inaugurating the new government's legislative term.

The Governor's Address, traditionally delivered at the opening of the first session after an election, is expected to outline the TVK government's policy priorities, welfare initiatives and development agenda for the coming years. The speech is likely to provide a broad roadmap of the administration's plans in areas such as governance, infrastructure, social welfare and economic growth.

Governor Arlekar is scheduled to arrive at Fort St. George at 9.50 a.m. and will be accorded a ceremonial reception near the Secretariat's second gate. Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar and Assembly Secretary Srinivasan will receive him before escorting him to the Assembly Hall.

The Governor will deliver his address in English, after which the Tamil translation will be read out by the Speaker. The proceedings connected with the address will then conclude. The event will be telecast live.

The session assumes significance as it will offer the first detailed indication of the TVK government's legislative and administrative priorities following its victory in the Assembly elections. Political observers are also watching closely for any major announcements from Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay during the proceedings.

Following the Governor's address, the Business Advisory Committee is expected to meet and finalise the schedule for the remainder of the session. Finance Minister Maria Wilson is also likely to table the government's White Paper on the state's finances.

The Assembly is expected to witness intense debates, with the opposition DMK and AIADMK preparing to raise issues including law and order, recent crimes against women, power outages, the crop loan waiver programme and recent political developments such as the resignation of MLAs. The proceedings are set to provide the first major political test for the TVK-led government inside the Assembly.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman