AP opposes fixed 5-year-tenure to Governors

The Andhra Pradesh government has opposed a fixed five-year tenure to the office of the Governor saying the person was not elected either by people or their representatives.
It also termed as "not advisable" the recommendation for impeachment of the Governor.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu spelt out the state's stand at the 11th meeting of the Inter-State Council (ISC) in New Delhi today. He was reacting to the recommendations made by the Justice M M Punchhi Commission on Centre-State relations.
The state Information and Public Relations Department released a copy of Naidu's speech at the ISC meet, here this evening.

"The Punchhi Commission has made practicable and constructive suggestions for the Centre-State relations. However,I feel some of the recommendations of the said Commission are not practicable and appropriate.
"The recommendation that the Governor should be given a fixed tenure of five years is not appropriate since the Governor is an appointee of the President and not electedby the people or their representatives. Likewise, the recommendation for a provision for impeachment of the Governor asper the procedures envisagedin Article-61 of the Constitution is not advisable," the Chief Minister said.

"Invoking local emergency under Articles 355 and 356 of the Constitution would be a direct infringement on the states'autonomy. The recommendation regardingprovision of dispute settlement function to the Inter-State Council is a welcome measure and entrustment of disputes to the Council should be done with the specific consent of the states concerned and shall be binding on the states," Naidu said referring to some other recommendations made by the Commission.

On the recommendation related to assent of Bills by the Governor, the Chief Minister suggested a "modification" that the time for assenting or withholding a Bill be one month and not six months.
He said constituting "empowered committees" like the empowered committee of finance ministers of states was "not a welcome measure."
The Chief Minister said the recommendation for equal representation of states in Rajya Sabha was also "not appropriate" and would be "detrimental" to the interests and the rights of larger states.
He also opposed the recommendation for suo moto deployment of Central forces in states saying it was "against the principle of federalism.