Patna, May 25: Bihar Governor Devanand Konwar, on his return from a long tour today, gave assent to seven pending bills passed during the budget session of the Assembly in March this year.

The bills that got th gubernatorial assent are Bihar School Examination Board Amendment bill, Bihar Non-government Secondary School Amendment and Control bill, Bihar Panchayati Raj Amendment bill, Bihar Valued Added Tax Amendment bill, Bihar Municipal Act Amendment bill, Bihar Integrated Check Post Authority bill and Bihar Professional Tax bill.

Sources in Raj Bhavan said: “The governor was away from the state for the past one month and after his return these bills were put up for his assent today.” Prior to putting up these bills for the governor’s assent, the Raj Bhavan secretariat had requested the Assembly secretariat for copies of the proceedings of the Assembly on the day on which these bills were passed.

Raj Bhavan sources expressed surprise over the reported statements of deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi in which he had put the governor’s office in the deck claiming that the governor was sitting over bills, causing financial loss to the state exchequer. “Such statement does not behove the status of the deputy CM and it is unbecoming of a holder of a high office,” said a senior Raj Bhavan official who refused to be named.

He also said Modi should have verified the facts before issuing statement against governor in the press. “We are surprised that the chief minister has not pulled up his deputy for such an irresponsible statement,” said the official.

On six other pending bills also awaiting the governor’s nod, the official said there were some technical aspects which were being looked into before putting up the bills for his assent.