Pending Bills with Governor: Supreme Court to hear Telangana’s case on March 20

HYDERABAD: The Supreme Court of India will hear the petition filed by the Telangana Government seeking directions to the Governor to give her assent to the 10 Bills passed by the legislature and submitted for her assent.

When Senior Advocate Dushyant Dave mentioned on Tuesday the issue citing their urgency in public interest, Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud agreed to hear the cases on March 20.

Dave mentioned in the petition on behalf of the Telangana Government that

“a very prequent constitutional impasse created on account of the refusal of the Governor to act on several bills passed by the State Legislature.”

The Bills sent for gubernatorial assent included:

The Azamabad Industrial Area (Termination and Regulation of Leases) (Amendment) Bill, 2022, Telangana Municipal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2022, Telangana. Telangana Public Employment (Regulation of Age of Superannuation) (Amendment) Bill, 2022 and University of Forestry Telangana Bill, 2022; Telangana Universities Common Recruitment Board Bill, 2022, Telangana Motor Vehicles Taxation (Amendment) Bill, 2022, Telangana State Private Universities (Establishment and Regulation) (Amendment) Bill, 2022, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (Amendment) Bill, 2023, Telangana Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the Telangana Municipalities (Amendment) Bill, 2023.

In fact, the Governor is utilising the Constitutional provision of Article 200 which suggests that the Governor could either assent to a Bill passed by the state legislature or to withhold assent therefrom or to reserve the Bill for consideration of the President of India. But this power needs to be exercised ‘as soon as possible’. However, the Constitution did not provide an explanation for “as soon as possible”.

Also Read: Telangana Governor Tamilisai walks into controversy again, people object tweet to CS

In fact, Telangana Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan tweeted making snide remark at Telangana Chief Secretary saying Raj Bhavan was nearer than Delhi, when the State Government had moved the Supreme Court.