Several bills passed by Kerala assembly await Guv''s approval

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 20 (PTI) Several legislations passed by the Kerala assembly are still awaiting the Governor's approval and some of them have been pending for more than a year.

The Supreme Court on Thursday held that governors do not have "unfettered powers" to sit over bills passed by the state assemblies.

According to government sources, many of the bills have been pending, some for more than a year, since the time when Arif Mohammed Khan was the Governor and these include amendments made to the University Laws.

There are several University Laws (Amendment) Bills awaiting the Governor's approval from the time of Khan, who was at loggerheads with the ruling Left government over the administration of varsities in the state.

Some of the amendments pertained to appointment of Vice Chancellors, teaching staff and different Chancellors for the various universities in the state.

Currently, the Governor of the state is also the Chancellor of the Universities.

During the row between Khan and the state government over administration of the varsities and appointment of VCs, the assembly had passed a law to appoint different Chancellors to the various universities in Kerala.

That particular bill is yet to be approved by the Governor, government sources said.

The Supreme Court on Thursday held that the court cannot impose any timelines on Governors and the President to grant assent to Bills passed by state assemblies but at the same time said Governors do not have 'unfettered' powers to sit on the Bills for 'perpetuity'.

In its unanimous opinion on the Presidential Reference, a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice B R Gavai also held that "indefinite delay" by the Governors will be open to "limited judicial scrutiny" and that deemed assent of Bills cannot be granted by the apex court by using its plenary power under Article 142. PTI HMP SA