PUDUCHERRY: Commencing the Budget session of the Telangana Legislative Assembly without the customary Governor’s address is a suppression of women’s rights, said Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan on Tuesday. Soundararajan is the Governor of Telangana and Lt Governor of Puducherry.
She was speaking at the International Women’s Day function, organised by the Department of Women and Children, in the Union Territory. Soundararajan said that despite Women’s Day being an occasion to pursue equal rights, in Telangana, a woman Governor was not invited to address the Budget session. The reason cited for this is that it was not the first session at the Assembly but a continuation as it was only adjourned and not prorogued, the L-G added.
She said, “The Budget could be presented without the Governor’s address, but it would not be valid without the Governor’s signature as per the Constitution.” In this situation, there was apprehension whether to sign the Budget or not, Soundararajan said. But, she signed the Budget the same evening and explained her priority was people’s welfare.
As the rights of property were provided to women, they must take benefit from this and come forward to start ventures, stated the L-G. A country’s development depends on the freedom of women, she added.
Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy also spoke on the occasion. Speaker of Puducherry Legislative Assembly R Selvam, agriculture minister C Jayakumar and other MLAs participated.