Bengal speaker urges Guv Ananda Bose to approve pending Bills

Kolkata, Nov 7 (PTI) West Bengal assembly speaker Biman Banerjee on Tuesday requested Governor CV Ananda Bose to approve the Bills sent to him after passage in the House, emphasizing their importance for public good.

Banerjee's remark came a day after the Supreme Court said the governors must not be oblivious of the fact that they are not elected representatives of the people, as it voiced concern over Raj Bhavans not acting on Bills passed by state legislatures, and directed Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to place on record the details of action taken by Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit on the Bills cleared by the assembly.

Tendering advice that a little bit of soul-searching by governors is needed, a bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said they must act on Bills before the matters reach the apex court.

The Supreme Court, while deprecating the delay in the governor approving the Bills, also criticised the Punjab government over the manner in which the assembly was reconvened.

Banerjee highlighted the backlog of Bills pending before the Governor, stating, 'Since 2011, a total of 22 bills have been awaiting approval at Raj Bhavan. Three Bills have remained unresolved from 2011 to 2016, four from 2016 to 2021, and 15 from 2021 until now. Among these, six bills are currently under CV Anand Bose's review.' He underscored that the Constitution does not grant the governor the authority to halt Bills and encouraged the governor to provide recommendations if necessary.

The Speaker expressed hope that the governor would adhere to the Supreme Court's observation, noting that the present governor has more pending Bills than his predecessors.

He suggested that the governor seek the assembly's opinion when in doubt and stressed the significance of respecting the people's mandate for Bills presented in the assembly.

The recent disputes between Bose and the state government, including matters related to the appointment of university VCs, the state's foundation day, the withholding of MGNREGA dues by the Centre, and panchayat poll violence, mirror the previous animosity between the government and former governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, who currently serves as the Vice-President of India. PTI PNT MNB