Tamil Nadu law minister S Regupathy has looked at an appointment with governor R N Ravi to talk about the bill prohibiting online pay-to-win and regulating online games like rummy and poker, which was passed unanimously by the legislative assembly a month before. This was to replace an ordinance proclaimed by the governor not long after the state government sent it to Raj Bhavan.

Government sources told TOI that the appointment was sought on Friday last and that there was no confirmation from the Raj Bhavan until Tuesday night.

In the meantime, various sources in the AIADMK affirmed that party interim general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami would meet the governor at Raj Bhavan on Wednesday evening. It couldn’t be confirmed yet what the reason for the meeting was.

The bill to boycott online pay-to-earn was among 20 bills forthcoming with the governor. Reghupathy said the ordinance got the assent of the governor the same day it was sent by his department.

“There has been no communication from the governor seeking any clarification,” the law minister told reporters in Chennai.

The MPs belonging to the DMK and its allies had submitted a memorandum to the office of President Droupadi Murmu complaining about the bills forthcoming before the governor.

The appointment has been sought for Reghupathy and senior bureaucrats in the home and law departments. The minister said he hoped to get the governor’s appointment on Tuesday or Wednesday.

“Strangely, the bill is pending given that the governor promulgated the ordinance,” said an official. Incidentally, the All India Gaming Federation and other gaming companies last week withdrew the petitions challenging the government’s ordinance following the submission from the state government that the ordinance was yet to come into force.

The government is yet to approach the principles necessary to carry out the provisions of the legislation and constitution of the Tamil Nadu Gaming Authority and exercise the powers conferred on it and carry out the roles assigned to it under the legislation.

Credit: The Times Of India