Officials not required to attend ‘review’ meetings with Governor, says TN Law Minister

Tamil Nadu Law Minister R. Nirmalkumar

Tamil Nadu Law Minister R. Nirmalkumar said on Friday (July 3, 2026) that officials need not attend any “review” meetings conducted by the governor.

Mr. Nirmalkumar told a meeting of the Development Co-ordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) in Madurai that officials can only attend meetings called by elected representatives and those held under law. “Officials are not required to organize or attend meetings called by authorities such as governors,” he said.

His remarks followed reports that Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar wanted to hold a “review” meeting with officials at the Madurai Circuit House on Thursday.

Madurai MP Su. Venkatesan said the governor, who was in Madurai for a university function, had scheduled a review meeting on various projects at the Circuit House. As word spread among senior secretariat officials, objections were raised and the proposed meeting was “abandoned”, he said.

However, a Ministry of Information and Public Relations press release issued late on Thursday said that Collector Nishant Krishna and Police Commissioner S. Rajendran had called on the Governor. “It was a courtesy call from two officers,” the statement added.

Mr. Venkatesan said that only elected MPs have the authority to conduct and chair DISHA meetings.

When asked about the Governor’s call to clean the Vaigai river in Madurai and that the Lok Bhavan would step in if the people here failed, Mr. Venkatesan said the district administration had plans to clean the river. Very soon it would turn into a public movement.

He wondered if the governor would ask a similar question to the justices about the connectedness of the cases and other issues. “If the courts do not resolve the dependency, will the Governor say that Lok Bhavan will come forward,” he asked.

Published – 03 Jul 2026 23:53 IST