Governor Must Decide Bills Approved By State Legislature Within 2 Months: DMK MP Wilson's Private Bill In Rajya Sabha

DMK MP P Wilson will move today a Private Bill in the Rajya Sabha to amend Article 200 of the Constitution to fix time limit for the Governor to decide the bills sent by State Legislature.

The Bill is named Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2022.

Article 200 of the Constitution reads as follows-

When a Bill has been passed by the Legislative Assembly of a State or, in the case of a State having a Legislative Council, has been passed by both Houses of the Legislature of the State, it shall be presented to the Governor and the Governor shall declare either that he assents to the Bill or that he withholds assent therefrom or that he reserves the Bill for the consideration of the President

Provided that the Governor may, as soon as possible after the presentation to him of the Bill for assent, return the Bill if it is not a Money Bill together with a message requesting that the House or Houses will reconsider the Bill or any specified provisions thereof and, in particular, will consider the desirability of introducing any such amendments as he may recommend in his message and, when a Bill is so returned, the House or Houses shall reconsider the Bill accordingly, and if the Bill is passed again by the House or Houses with or without amendment and presented to the Governor for assent, the Governor shall not withhold assent therefrom

Provided further that the Governor shall not assent to, but shall reserve for the consideration of the President, any Bill which in the opinion of the Governor would, if it became law, so derogate from the powers of the High Court as to endanger the position which that Court is by this Constitution designed to fill.

With this amendment, Wilson seeks to establish a time limit of two months for the Governor to declare that he assents to the Bill or that he withholds assent.

Further the bill also provides for a period of one month for the Governor to return the bill to the houses for reconsideration. The bill further provides a period of one month for the Governor to reserve the bill for the consideration of the President.