‘Governor sitting on Bills’: SC to hear Telangana govt plea on March 20

The Telangana government has filed a petition in Supreme Court against Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan who has allegedly refused to act on 10 Bills passed by the state legislature.

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the petition urgently. Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud has reportedly told senior advocate Dushyant Dave, the state’s counsel, that the case would be listed for hearing on March 20.

While presenting the case before the CJI Bench for early listing, Dave submitted that “several Bills are stuck”, awaiting the Governor’s nod. The state has argued that the Governor’s refusal to act on the Bills since September 14, 2022, has created a “constitutional impasse”.

Also read: President gives assent to Punjab, Telangana bills

“A decision is must”

The state has argued in the petition that the Governor may or may not give her assent to a Bill, but must take a decision “as soon as possible” instead of keeping the Bills pending for months. Highlighting Article 200 of the Constitution, the petition states, “The Bill must be returned together with a message requesting the Houses to reconsider it or any provisions in it and rethink the desirability of introducing any such amendments.”

The 10 Bills in question are the Azamabad Industrial Area (Termination and Regulation of Leases) (Amendment) Bill, 2022; The Telangana Motor Vehicles Taxation (Amendment) Bill, 2022; The Telangana Municipal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2022; The Telangana State Private Universities (Establishment and Regulation) (Amendment) Bill, 2022; The Telangana Public Employment (Regulation of Age of Superannuation) (Amendment) Bill, 2022; The Telangana Universities Common Recruitment Board Bill, 2022; and The University of Forestry Telangana Bill, 2022; The Telangana Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2023; The Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (Amendment) Bill, 2023; and The Telangana Municipalities (Amendment) Bill, 2023.

Closely analysing, says Governor

The state has also argued that under Article 163, the Governor is not “expected to act independently” but “required to exercise his functions or any of them in his discretion only on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers with the Chief Minister heading it.”

Also read: TN people not recognising our talents: Tamilisai Soundararajan

Soundararajan has earlier dismissed the allegations of the state, stating that she was closely analysing the Bills.

(With agency inputs)