Guv has no authority to summon officers to discuss pending Bills: Bengal minister

Kolkata: West Bengal's Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay said the governor does not have any authority to summon officers to discuss pending Bills.

Chattopadhyay's statement on Thursday came after Governor C V Ananda Bose said he has sought meetings with officers of different departments before approving some Bills that are pending with him.

"The Constitution clearly states that the governor does not have the power to indefinitely hold back Bills. If there are legal concerns with a Bill, the governor may write to the government. But nowhere does the Constitution say he can summon officials or hold discussions. I have read the Constitution many times," the minister said.

Following a Supreme Court verdict on the matter, Speaker Biman Banerjee said 23 Bills passed by the West Bengal Assembly since 2016 have not received the governor's assent.

In a major victory for the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government, the apex court on Tuesday cleared 10 Bills that were stalled and reserved by Governor R N Ravi for the President's consideration, and also set a timeline for all governors to act on the Bills passed by state assemblies.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin hailed the verdict as a "victory for all Indian states".

Echoing similar sentiments, Speaker Banerjee hoped that the West Bengal governor would follow suit.

In a statement, the Raj Bhavan on Wednesday said the governor had sent 11 Bills -- 10 related to state universities and the Aparajita Bill -- for consideration by the President between 2024 and 2025.

The Raj Bhavan also said that it has sought additional information from the state government on several other Bills, and claimed that appropriate responses have not been received.