Tamil Nadu Law Minister: Officials Not Bound to Attend Governor's Review Meetings

Chennai, Oct 27 (PTI) - Tamil Nadu Law Minister R. Nirmalkumar on Friday stated that government officials are not required to attend 'review' meetings convened by the Governor, asserting that their duty lies only with meetings called by elected representatives or mandated by law.

Speaking at the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) meeting in Madurai, Mr Nirmalkumar said, “Officials are not obliged to organise or attend meetings called by authorities such as Governors. They should only participate in meetings convened by elected representatives and those conducted as per legal provisions.”

The Minister's comments came in response to reports that Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar had intended to hold a review meeting with officials at the Madurai Circuit House on Thursday. Madurai MP Su. Venkatesan alleged that the Governor, while in Madurai for a college function, planned a review of various projects. According to Mr Venkatesan, senior officials in the Secretariat raised objections, leading to the meeting being cancelled.

However, the Department of Information and Public Relations issued a press release late Thursday stating that Collector Nishant Krishna and Commissioner of Police S. Rajendran had called on the Governor. The release described it as “a courtesy call by the two officers.”

Mr Venkatesan emphasised that only elected Members of Parliament have the authority to preside over DISHA meetings. When asked about the Governor's appeal to clean the Vaigai River in Madurai, and his remark that if the people failed, “Lok Bhavan would step in,” the MP said the district administration already has plans for river cleaning and that it would soon become a public movement.

In a pointed query, Mr Venkatesan questioned whether the Governor would similarly challenge the judiciary over case pendency, asking, “If the courts fail to address the pendency, will the Governor say that the Lok Bhavan would pitch in?”

The incident highlights ongoing tensions between the elected state government and the office of the Governor, with the government asserting its executive authority over administrative matters.