RAIPUR: The Chhattisgarh high court has sought a reply from the secretariat of the Governor of Chhattisgarh during the hearing of a writ petition that challenged the alleged delay in the grant of assent to two bills related to reservations that were sent by the state government to governor Anusuya Uike’s office. The high court told the governor’s secretariat to submit a reply by February 24.
Chhattisgarh’s advocate general Satish Chandra Verma said: “The bench of justice Rajni Dubey on Monday issued notice to the secretariat of governor and sought reply over the pending reservation bills.”
Verma and senior lawyer Kapil Sibal argued in court that the governor couldn’t block the bills which were unanimously passed by the state assembly.
The governor’s office said that they have not received the notice and will look at all legal aspects in view of Article 361 which stipulates that the President or governor “shall not be answerable to any court for the exercise and performance of the powers and duties”.
On January 18, Himank Saluja filed a petition in the high court that alleged that the governor hadn’t acted on two reservation bills sent by the state government for her assent, in the absence of which students were suffering, and the reservation policy in the state was not clear.
On December 3, 2022, the Chhattisgarh assembly passed a bill which increased reservation for OBCs from the existing 14% to 27% and from 12% to 13% for the scheduled caste community in public employment and admissions. The 32%reservation for the ST category was kept unchanged. A bill also incorporated a 4% reservation for economically weaker sections (EWS), taking the total reservation in the state to 76% if both bills become laws. Both were sent to the governor on December 3, 2022.
On December 12, when asked about the delay in approval from the governor to the two quota bills, Uikey said she had sought details from the government to understand how the increase in the reservation to 76% can be defended if the two bills are challenged in the court of law.
The governor was not satisfied with the response sent by the state government.
BJP spokesperson and senior leader Sacchinand Upasane said that Raj Bhawan will give legal response to the court but the Congress government is doing petty politics over the issue of reservations bills.
“The government has no motive to benefit the students but to win the upcoming elections with these bills which has legal obstacles,” said Upasane.
