Guv Ravi returns Siddha varsity Bill for 5th time
"The Governor has once again sent back the Bill, this time pointing out four corrections. It was returned to the Law Department on August 21, with instructions to rectify and resubmit," Health Minister Ma Subramanian said on Saturday.;
Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi (PTI)
CHENNAI: In yet another confrontation between Raj Bhavan and the State government, Governor-Chancellor RN Ravi has returned the Tamil Nadu Siddha Medical University Bill, 2023, reportedly for the fifth time, citing four "necessary corrections".
"The Governor has once again sent back the Bill, this time pointing out four corrections. It was returned to the Law Department on August 21, with instructions to rectify and resubmit," Health Minister Ma Subramanian said on Saturday.
He added that the department secretary had been directed to incorporate the required changes within a week. "We will place the Bill again in the forthcoming Assembly session, pass it afresh, and send it back to the Governor for approval," he said.
The Bill, originally passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly in 2023, seeks to establish a separate university for Siddha medicine, the first of its kind in the country, to promote research, education, and clinical excellence in the traditional system. The proposed university is to be named after former chief minister and Dravidian icon CN Annadurai.
The repeated returning of the Bill highlights the ongoing friction between the DMK government and the Governor on legislative matters, with the State accusing Raj Bhavan of deliberately delaying people-centric initiatives, while the Governor insists on procedural and legal accuracy.
The Siddha Medical University Bill is among several legislations caught in this tussle, which is part of the larger political standoff.