No Bill is pending with Raj Bhavan as claimed by Bengal govt: Guv

KOLKATA: West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Sunday rejected the allegation that eight Bills passed by the state assembly is pending with the Raj Bhavan.

Out of the eight Bills, six were reserved for the consideration of President Draupadi Murmu, while another is subjudice, Bose said.

For the eighth Bill, no representative of the state government turned up at the Raj Bhavan despite being called as some clarifications were needed, he said.

"My attention has been drawn to a news item of today that the Bengal government has moved the Supreme Court against the Governor over eight pending Bills. This is incorrect as not a single Bill is pending with the Raj Bhavan," Bose told PTI from Kerala.

On Friday, the Mamata Banerjee government moved the Supreme Court against Bose for allegedly sitting on the eight Bills without giving any reason for not signing them.

"The action taken/ proposed to be taken by the government in the matter may be reported as is mandated in Article 167 of the Constitution of India," he added..

Article 167 defines the duties of a chief minister towards the governor.

"It is not clear why the government thinks of moving the court without verifying facts," Bose said.

According to a Raj Bhavan official, six amendment Bills of 2022, all related to various universities of the state, were reserved for consideration of the President of India.

The West Bengal University Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023 relating to the selection of vice-chancellors is sub judice, the official said.

"For the West Bengal Town and Country (Planning & Development) (Amendment) Bill, 2023, the state govt was asked to send the principal Secretary to the Raj Bhavan as some important clarifications were needed. The government has not yet responded to it," the official said.