Governor Bose assents three bills passed by Bengal assembly after long delay

Governor C V Ananda Bose has given his assent to three important bills passed by the state assembly in 2022 and 2023, according to a statement issued by Raj Bhavan. Among the bills approved is The West Bengal Town and Country (Planning and Development) (Amendment) Bill, 2023. This amendment aims to introduce changes in urban and rural planning mechanisms to align them with modern developmental needs and streamline procedures.

Governor Bose also gave his nod to The West Bengal Land Reforms and Tenancy Tribunal (Amendment) Bill, 2022, as well as The West Bengal Taxation Tribunal (Amendment) Bill, 2022. These bills are expected to enhance the functioning and efficiency of existing tribunals handling complex land and taxation-related matters in the state.

In addition to clearing these pending legislations, Governor Bose recommended the introduction of the West Bengal Minorities' Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2025 in the Assembly, signifying proactive involvement in shaping inclusive policy reforms.

The state government, led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, had previously expressed concern over long delays in receiving gubernatorial assent. Speaker Biman Banerjee had highlighted that 23 bills passed by the West Bengal Assembly since 2016 were pending with the Governor's office.

The issue of governors holding back state legislation has also been contentious at the national level. Recently, the Supreme Court addressed a similar issue in Tamil Nadu, setting timelines for governors to act on bills. The apex court cleared 10 bills held by the Tamil Nadu Governor and directed that governors must not indefinitely delay state legislative processes.

In this context, Raj Bhavan stated that Governor Bose has already sent 11 bills for Presidential consideration, including 10 related to state universities and the Aparajita Bill, during 2024 and 2025. It also mentioned that requests for further information on several other bills had not been adequately answered by the state government, contributing to the delay in processing.