‘No use sending same NEET Bills to Delhi’: Tamil Nadu CM K Palaniswami

CHENNAI : A day after the Centre informed the Madras High Court that it had returned Tamil Nadu’s NEET Bills, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday said the State government was ready to resend the two Bills to Delhi. However, he said there was no use in sending the same Bills again without understanding the shortcomings and setting them right. 

“The State government will write yet another reminder to the Centre seeking reasons for rejection of NEET Bills,” the Chief Minister said. “If the Centre fails to respond, a special session of the State Assembly can be convened to decide the next course of action. The ruling party has equal concern as the DMK on the issue,” he said, responding to the issue raised by DMK chief MK Stalin. 

Denying Stalin’s charges that the State government had failed to exert pressure on Centre in the last 22 months, as the Centre submitted that it returned the Bill in September 2017, Palaniswami said he had written many letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard and had also reminded him of the issue when they met in person. He said though the Bills were rejected in September2017, the Centre had not conveyed the reasons for the same, till date.

‘Will move SC if NEET Bills rejection not explained’

Law Minister CVe Shanmugam insisted that the government did not hide any information on the matter. He said when Stalin raised the issue last year, the Health Minister had told the House that the Bills had been withheld and returned to the State. Shanmugam said his department had written 12 letters to the Centre till now, seeking the reasons for the rejection of these two Bills but never got a reply.

Even now, the Centre had revealed some information only to the court and not to the State government. He also said the State government was even ready to move the Supreme Court if the Centre fails to convey the reasons for the rejection of these Bills. The minister said he was in agreement with the contention of the leader of opposition that the word 'withheld' was used to convey 'rejected', considering the sovereignty of the State legislature.

‘House was informed’
Law Minister CVe Shanmugam said when Stalin raised the issue last year, the Health Minister had told the House that the Bills had been withheld and returned.