Speaker Appavu flags Governors withholding bills
Speaking at the 10th CPA Region Conference in New Delhi, Appavu referred to the Union government passing laws on subjects such as education and health that are on the concurrent list
TN Assembly Speaker M Appavu
CHENNAI: Flagging the issue of the Governors delaying assent to Bills and the President not clearing them after being passed by the State Assemblies, Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker M Appavu on Monday pressed for reforms ensuring the Union government respect Constitutional mandate.
Speaking at the 10th CPA Region Conference in New Delhi, Appavu referred to the Union government passing laws on subjects such as education and health that are on the concurrent list and said, “People are getting affected. They are displaying their objections and anger only to the state governments. It is the state governments that get the beating. The Union Government should only interfere to a limited extent in matters on the concurrent list. Also, reforms should be brought so that the Union government respects the Bills and resolutions passed by the State Assemblies which reflect the wishes of the people of the respective states.”
Citing the stalling of some Bills passed in the Assembly by the Governor’s Office for years without any reason, Appavu said, “Insulting the Assembly means insulting the people who elected the members of that Assembly.”
Pointing to the President giving assent to bills passed in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha within a couple of hours even in a situation where entire opposition members were expelled, Appavu said, “In some states, Governors do not give assent even to bills that are passed unanimously by the Assembly. A system should be created that Governors should follow the President in giving assent to the bills. It should be done as soon as possible, thereby upholding Constitutional provisions. Only then, the confusion caused by the intervention of Governors in states ruled by the opposition parties could be avoided.”
'Set deadline for Guv’s to clear bills'
The TNLA Speaker also suggested that a deadline must be set for the Governor to give his assent to the Bills passed by the State Assembly.
The tendency of Governors to act against the opinions of the people’s representatives by assuming that they have powers, that they do not have, should be put to an end.
It is very painful that the Governors are going back 100 years when the entire nation is striving hard and moving ahead to create a modern India, he added.