After months of deadlock, Bengal governor C.V. Ananda Bose has signed at least five pending bills over the past few days and cleared two key appointments to the state information commission.
The bills include some amendments to the Howrah Municipality Act and others related to taxation, land and land reforms.
The TMC has welcomed the move. It has also expressed optimism that President Droupadi Murmu would soon grant assent to the Aparajita legislation, passed by the Assembly following the rape and murder of a doctor at the RG Kar hospital last August. It was sent for her consideration by Bose days after its passing in
September last year.
This development comes after a recent Supreme Court directive setting a one-month timeline for governors to act on bills passed by states. In a verdict delivered last month, the apex court stipulated that the President must decide on bills referred by governors within three months of receiving them.
On Tuesday, Bose approved 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.
On Wednesday, he followed up with approval for the West Bengal Backward Classes Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2018, and the Howrah Municipality (Amendment)
Bill, 2021.
He appointed former IRS officer Sanchita Kumar, wife of director-general of Bengal police Rajeev Kumar, and former Purulia MP Mriganka Mahato as state information commissioners.
The announcement was made by the governor’s officer on special duty on Wednesday.