Guv clears 3 bills passed by Bengal assembly in 2022-23
Times of India | 30 April 2025
12 Kolkata: The Raj Bhavan on Tuesday announced that it had cleared three bills passed by the Bengal assembly in 2022 and 2023. In a statement, the Raj Bhavan said the governor "has accorded assent" to the West Bengal Town and Country (Planning and Development) (Amendment) Bill, 2023, the West Bengal Land Reforms and Tenancy Tribunal (Amendment) Bill, 2022, and the West Bengal Taxation Tribunal (Amendment) Bill, 2022.
The West Bengal Town and Country (Planning and Development) (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which had been pending for 18 months, was among those mentioned by the state govt in its plea before the Supreme Court in July 2024. The govt had approached the apex court against governor CV Ananda Bose and his predecessor Jagdeep Dhankhar for allegedly stalling eight bills passed by the assembly. The state argued that the governor "must not be allowed to use a pocket veto through the back door" when the Constitution does not confer such discretionary powers.
The Raj Bhavan further stated on Tuesday that the governor had recommended the introduction of the West Bengal Minorities' Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2025 in the assembly. This development follows the SC's landmark judgement in the Kerala case, which set timeframes for governors to either assent to or return bills.
Assembly speaker Biman Banerjee said, "The three bills that have received assent date back to 2022 and 2023. We would have been more satisfied if other bills from that period had also been cleared. Important legislation such as the Aparajita Bill and the Anti-Mob-Lynching Bill remain pending. I will be able to comment further once I have reviewed the communication from Raj Bhavan."
Among the eight 2022 bills cited in the 124-page Special Leave Petition (SLP) currently pending before the SC, seven pertain to the appointment of vice-chancellors in state-aided and private universities in Bengal. These include bills that propose replacing the Governor with CM Mamata Banerjee as chancellor of state universities and appointing education minister Bratya Basu as "visitor" to private universities. These bills were passed in June 2022, during the tenure of then-governor and current vice-president Jagdeep Dhankhar.