 "Bhupesh Baghel")
Nine Bills in Chhattisgarh are pending the Governor's assent for an extended period, including some since 2020.
Of the nine Bills, two are aimed at increasing reservations in government jobs and educational institution admissions and have been passed by the state Legislative Assembly.
Recently, the Supreme Court questioned the Tamil Nadu Governor over the delay in processing the bills passed by the Assembly. Other state governments have also approached the apex court to challenge the "inordinate delay" by Raj Bhawan in processing the bills passed by the respective state Legislative Assemblies.
The pending bills in Chhattisgarh include the Mahatma Gandhi Udyaniki and Vaniki Vishwavidyalaya (Amendment) Bill 2020, the Chhattisgarh Vishwavidyalaya (Amendment) Bill 2020, the Pt Sunderlal Sharma Open University Chhattisgarh (Amendment) Bill 2020, the Chhattisgarh Kushabhau Thakre Patrakarita Evam Jansacnhar Vishwavidyalaya (Amendment) Bill 2020, the Indira Kala Sangeet Vishwavidyalaya (Amendment) Bill 2020, the Chhattisgarh Krishi Upaj Mandi (Amendment) Bill 2020, the Chhattisgarh Cooperative Society (Amendment) Bill 2020, the Chhattisgarh Public Service (Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes Reservation) Amendment Bill 2022, and the Chhattisgarh Educational Institutions (Reservation in admission) Amendment Bill.
The Chhattisgarh government, by amending the university Bills, was looking to gain the power to recruit vice-chancellors from the Governor. Additionally, one of the university bills — Kushabhau Thakre Patrakarita Evan Jansanchar Vishwavidyalaya (Amendment) Bill — seeks to change the name of the university to Chandulal Chandrakar University of Journalism and Mass Communication. All nine Bills were passed by the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly and sent to the Raj Bhawan during the tenure of Governor Anusuiya Uikey for assent.
Passed in December 2022, the Bills to enhance the overall reservation to 76 per cent stirred a controversy after the Raj Bhawan sought clarifications, including the rationale behind enhancing the quota for different communities for government jobs. The Governor had also sent a letter seeking a report of the quantifiable data commission on Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and the socio-economic and educational status of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the state. Despite the government providing some information, the Governor deemed the replies unsatisfactory. In the midst of the tussle, Governor Uikey was shifted to Manipur and Biswabhushan Harichandan took over as the new Governor.
