Time limit for governors: Pinarayi Vijayan supports Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin's proposal

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a letter written to chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin sought the state's support in exerting pressure on the Centre to clear the bills which are pending before the governor.
Stalin said the TN government had passed a resolution in the assembly urging the Centre and the President to fix a time limit for governors to approve the bills passed by the assembly.
I am sure that you will agree with the spirit and content of the resolution and extend support in this regard by passing a similar resolution in Kerala Assembly, said Stalin, who had sent the resolution passed by TN assembly along with the letter to Vijayan.
Stalin wrote that some governors are indefinitely holding various bills that have been duly passed by the state legislatures and sent for approval which in turn brought respective state administrations to a standstill.
"Considering various aspects of the issue, we took several efforts to clarify the doubts and concerns raised by the governor on the bills sent for approval; including the bill on online rummy. As our efforts failed, we in Tamil Nadu deemed fit to pass a resolution seeking the help of the Centre," wrote Stalin.
In his reply, the chief minister of Kerala wrote on April 17 that in Kerala too certain bills passed by the state assembly after due deliberation were kept pending by the governor for an unduly long time, some for more than a year. "This is despite the fact that the ministers and the officials had personally visited and given clarifications sought by the Governor," he wrote.
Vijayan went on to add that the time-tested convention of Parliamentary democracy that the governor has to act in accordance with the aid and advice of the council of ministers is being violated when he withholds assent to bills passed by the assembly.
"In this matter, we are ready to extend wholehearted cooperation and will consider the proposal with utmost seriousness," wrote Vijayan in his letter to Stalin.