Telangana government’s decision to absorb the State Road Corporation employees into Government service has hit a ‘temporary’ roadblock as Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan has informed that her office needs some more time to examine the Draft Bill and intends to obtain legal opinion.
Governor’s office on Friday issued a press communique stating that the Draft Bill of “the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (Absorption of Employees into Government Service) Bill, 2023” was received at Raj Bhavan, Hyderabad on August 2, 2023 at about 03.30 p.m. only requesting permission to introduce the same in the Assembly.
“It requires some more time to examine it and obtain legal opinion for taking a decision on the request,” the communique said.
The State Cabinet which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday took a decision to merge the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation with the government. The decision would enable 43,373 employees of the Corporation to be treated as Government staff.
Highly placed sources told The Hindu on Friday that the Governor’s office apparently took note of certain concerns raised by the political parties as well as the civil society representatives. The primary concern it was pointed out pertained to the State-run Corporation coming under Schedule 9 of the AP Reorganisation Act 2014.
“Division of assets between the State of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh has not been finalised completely. So also, is the case of the fate of the Provident Fund and Gratuity amount of the employees,” the source pointed out. Raj Bhavan, it is understood, has prepared a detailed note which is likely to be forwarded to the Chief Secretary and the Chief Minister’s office. The Governor’s office, it is believed, sought clarification on the said concerns.
Another reliable source said there was nothing wrong in waiting for a day or two for the Governor to clear the Draft Bill for introduction in the Assembly. “If there is delay, then the government has the option of writing to the President of India on the issue,” the source told The Hindu.
The latest episode continues the saga of rift between the Bharat Rashtra Samithi government and the Governor’s office. The TS government had earlier this year approached the Supreme Court stating that as many as 10 Bills sent for the Governor’s assent has been pending for months together. Dramatically, a day before the Supreme Court was scheduled to hear a petition filed by the TS government in April this year, assent was given for three Bills, two were referred to the President for consideration, three were under her active consideration and clarifications were sought on two others.
A former Legislature Secretariat official said Bills are classified broadly into two categories — ordinary and those involving financial commitment. “All the Legislative proposals transform into legal statutes when they are passed by the Legislature and assented by the Governor. But, in respect of those Bills, which have some financial commitments, there is an additional safeguard or precaution,” the former official said.
“Those Bills are governed by Article 117 of the Constitution. No legislative proposal for appropriation of public revenue, that is expenditure from the Consolidated Fund of the State can be introduced without the recommendation of the Governor. This has been envisaged to ensure that the allocation of money is made in an integrated and planned manner and in the interest of the State,” it was pointed out.
