HYDERABAD: Just as it appeared that the strained relations between Raj Bhavan and Pragathi Bhavan had improved following the “mutual agreement” over the Governor’s address Budget presentation, the BRS government is expected to take up a debate on the Governor withholding approval to seven Bills passed by the legislature since September of last year.
During a Cabinet meeting convened on Sunday at Pragathi Bhavan, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao reportedly discussed the issue of the seven pending Bills and the future course of action. The Cabinet was of the view that if the Governor failed to give approval to the pending Bills by February 8, the government should consider holding a debate in the House on the issue, pass a resolution seeking the Governor’s approval for the pending Bills, sources informed.
The Telangana Assembly and the Council on September 14, 2022, passed eight Bills, including one on the constitution of a common recruitment board for making appointments in 15 state universities, of which the Governor is the chancellor. Of the eight, the Governor gave her assent to only one Bill –Telangana GST (Amendment) Bill, 2022, seeking inclusion of some more items under the GST.
Seven Bills are awaiting the Governor’s approval. These include the University of Forestry Bill. Azamabad Industrial Area (Termination and Regulation of Leases) (Amendment) Bill, the Municipal Laws (Amendment) Bill, the Public Employment (Regulation of age of superannuation) (Amendment) Bill, the Telangana Universities Common Recruitment Board Bill, the Motor Vehicles Taxation (Amendment) Bill, and Telangana State Private Universities (Establishment and Regulation) Amendments Bill, 2022.
Of the seven Bills, the state government was keen on getting clearance for at least three Bills at the earliest — the ones on universities common recruitment board, municipal laws and private universities.
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