Governor yields after SC heat, clears 9 Bills sent back to House

CHENNAI: Following the Supreme Court's stern reminder on gubernatorial responsibilities, Governor RN Ravi has given his assent to nine Bills passed by the State Legislative Assembly, including the Tamil Nadu Fiscal Responsibility (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which he had earlier returned for reconsideration. This marks the first time Governor Ravi has approved a Bill that had been sent back to the House, signalling compliance with his constitutional obligations after years of friction with the State government.

The Fiscal Responsibility (Amendment) Bill, enacted initially on February 22, 2024, seeks to reinforce fiscal prudence, transparency, and accountability in public finance. The Governor had withheld assent earlier, sending the Bill back to the Speaker, M Appavu, with detailed remarks on August 25, asking for reconsideration. Following a review, Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu reintroduced the Bill, which was passed again unanimously on October 17 in the House, reaffirming the government's financial reform agenda.

In addition to the fiscal legislation, Governor Ravi has approved eight other Bills, including one enhancing the pension for former MLAs and another that replaces imprisonment with monetary penalties for petty offences. Officials described the move as an unprecedented instance of legislative concurrence between Raj Bhavan and Fort St George, following judicial scrutiny of pending Bills across several states.

The governor's decision follows the Supreme Court's observation that governors must not delay or withhold assent indefinitely and that such inaction undermines the principles of responsible governance.

All nine Bills have now been forwarded to the Law Department for publication in the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette, completing their legislative process.