The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Bill to set up sports university passed

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Aug 01, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Bill to set up sports university passed

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, JULY 31. A Bill was passed in the Assembly today for promoting physical education and sports.

The Tamil Nadu Physical Education and Sports University, to be set up at a cost of Rs. 50 lakhs, will be located within the limits of Chennai or in any place within a radius of 100 km.

It will not infringe on the activities of the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu and will explore the possibility of increasing extension activities in physical education in consultation with the Authority. It will monitor physical education and sports at all levels academically.

The objectives include offering consultancy services for the development of physical education and sports; develop research facilities and find ways and means of identifying innovative courses in physical education and sports.

Transitional areas

A Bill to replace an ordinance declaring town panchayats third grade municipalities and panchayat towns transitional areas was also passed.

Only areas having a population of over 30,000 shall be "classified as a transitional area and that in every such transitional area there shall be established a third grade municipality."

The Local Administration Minister, K.P. Anbazhagan, who made a statement ahead of introducing another Bill to replace an ordinance, said the elected town panchayat chairman and members "shall be deemed to be the elected president and members of such village panchayats" and they would continue to hold office till the expiry of their term or till such time the Government issued a notification.

This Bill to further amend the Tamil Nadu District Municipalities Act, 1920, was passed by voice vote.

The Appropriation Bill to allow the Government to withdraw money from the Consolidated Fund of the State for footing expenditure from April 1, 2004, was also passed.

Rural economy hit

Replying to a question by K. Kandasamy (AIADMK), the Finance Minister, C. Ponnaiyan, said the village economy was affected since India complied with the World Trade Organisation's regulations.

He contested the claim that Indian agriculture was not hit and said producers of maize and tapioca were among those severely affected because of cheap imports from Thailand.

Similarly, tea growers were in bad shape, thanks to unhindered imports.

The State Government had written to the Centre pointing to the extent to which farmers in the State and in the country in general were affected.

There was no logic behind the import of fruits, juices, chocolates and sweets.

He said the duty on tapioca starch and maize starch and other imports should be increased to protect Indian farmers.

Adjourned sine die

After passing the Bills introduced in the session the short session was adjourned sine die. The Bill to repeal the Act on Forced Conversions was not introduced.

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