Govt-governor tussle deepens in Arunachal

The Arunachal Pradesh government is on a warpath with state Governor J P Rajkhowa after the state Cabinet headed by Chief Minister Nabam Tuki on Monday advised the governor to recall his December 9 order and allow the Assembly session to be convened on January 14.

The governor had earlier order to advance the Assembly session to December 16 from January 14 and also asked to make the notice for impeachment of the Assembly’s Speaker as the first business agenda of the Assembly session.

The move, however, irked the state government. According to government sources, the state Cabinet discussed the opinion rendered by the Advocate-General on December 12 on the constitutionality of the order and the message of the governor for advancing the session and advised him to withdraw his order.

“The said order dated december 9, 2015, issued by the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh is in contradiction with Article 174 read with Article 163 of the Constitution of India and Rules 3 and 3A of the Rules of Procedures and Conduct of Business of the Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly. Similarly, the message is contrary to Article 175 of the Constitution read with Rule 245 of the said Rules.
Moreover, the Hon’ble High Court of Gauhati has fixed the hearing of the case of resignation of two MLAs from the Assembly on December 16, 2015,” government spokesperson Bamang Felix stated in a press release on Monday.

The state Cabinet on Monday took a ‘serious note’ of the communications directly issued to various departments and organisations from the Governor’s Secretariat without going through the government’s table as clear violation of the rules of Executive Business, namely, the Arunachal Pradesh Rules of Executive Business, 1987, sources added.

The state government has decided to direct all officers not to ‘directly deal’ with the Raj Bhavan Secretariat without the matter being examined and approved by the concerned minister, the sources added.